


Triple Threat

by LoveStoryFanatic



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Humor, Children, F/M, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-06 10:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 121,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/734882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveStoryFanatic/pseuds/LoveStoryFanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a few new members to the Atlantis expedition. Or, more importantly, one beautiful scientist who has a knack for pulling a certain commanding officer's heart strings. Things get even more interesting in the Pegasus Galaxy now that she's arrived.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Triple Threat

Chapter 1

"Weir to Sheppard, come in."

John put down his sandwich and hit his com. "Sheppard here."

Rodney looked up from his pad wondering if there was some kind of emergency. Again. He was mentally preparing himself to have to save the entire city singlehandedly.

"John, the new recruits from Earth just arrived on the Daedalus. I'd like you to meet them in the gate room and get everything settled." John sighed and stood up to leave. "On my way. Sheppard out."

He looked around the table at his teammates, Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney. "Well, I gotta go. The Daedalus just arrived and Elizabeth wants me to settle in our newcomers. Are we still on for sparring later, Teyla?"

She nodded, "Of course. You can use all the practice you can get." He made a face at her and said, "Oh ha ha, very funny. I'll see you then." Teyla smiled and they watched as he left the mess hall.

He walked down corridor after corridor until he reached the gate room. He reached up and hit his com. "Daedalus, this is Sheppard. We are ready to receive the recruits."

Lt. Stuart's voice came over the com, "This is the Daedalus. Beaming them down now, sir."

A bright light filled the gate room as the new recruits were beamed down to the city. Among the recruits were a variety of scientists, doctors, and military officers that were much needed since the last battle with the Wraith. Colonel Sheppard handpicked a few of them himself as did the rest of the senior staff.

"Welcome to Atlantis. I'm Lt. Colonel John Sheppard, Commanding Military Officer of Atlantis. Now, if the doctors would kindly step down to your right and wait there for Dr. Beckett and the scientists move down to your left and wait for Dr. McKay, it would make things go much faster."

He hit his com again, "Drs. Beckett and McKay, please report to the gate room to meet the new members of your team."

"Military! Follow me and I'll show you the ropes."

John gave the military the grand tour of the city, including where the weapons room, the mess hall, and their quarters were. "At 1600 hours, there will be a meeting for all new members of the expedition in the central tower conference room. I suggest you get acquainted with the city and settle into your rooms until then."

He smiled and made his way to the gym. He walked through the doors to find Teyla standing there with both their banto sticks. She tossed his set to him and he caught them.

"You're late." They started to circle each other slowly. "Yeah, sorry about that. The tour took longer than expected."

They sparred for about an hour and a half, which mostly involved John ending up on the floor and having to pick himself back up. Then Ronon walked in, causing John to get distracted and not see Teyla's banto stick coming straight for his head. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in the infirmary with Dr. Beckett standing over him.

"Doc..what happened?" Carson looked behind him. "He's awake."

Elizabeth, Teyla, and Ronon walked over the end of the bed John was laying on. Ronon had a smirk on his face as he said, "Teyla knocked you out. I carried you here."

He looked from Ronon to Teyla. "It is true. Ronon walked in and you got distracted. You did not see my strike coming. I thought you were going to dodge, but you did not. I am sorry, John."

"Don't worry about it. That's what I get for not paying attention. I didn't miss the meeting, did I?"

Elizabeth smiled, "No, actually we were just on our way up there." He looked over to Beckett. "Am I cleared to go?" Carson checked the bandage on the Colonel's temple and then checked his readings. "Aye, you're fine to go. Just take it easy and don't do anything overly strenuous for 24 hours otherwise you'll probably be back here complaining of a nasty headache. Off you go."

"Thanks, Carson." John slowly sat up and then got to his feet. He was a little slower than normal on his way to the conference room, but it wasn't too bad. They had to hold three separate meetings debriefing the new recruits since not everyone could fit in the conference room at once. The military newcomers were the first to be debriefed.

They were already in the conference room when Elizabeth, John, Rodney, Teyla, Ronon, and Carson entered the room. They all sat down in their respective chairs while most of the recruits stood along the doors. Most of them kept passing glances at the bandage on the Colonel's temple, but no one said anything.

The meetings went as planned: long and boring for the senior staff and overloading for the new recruits. Assigning everyone jobs was scheduled for the following morning.

Later on that evening, John joined his team in the mess hall for supper like usual. They had all finished their meal and were sitting there laughing at Rodney's expense when a fight broke out on the other side of the mess hall. A tall, lean man was getting into another man's face. The first guy seemed to be a scientist while the other was a marine.

John jumped up and ran over to the men fighting. "What seems to be the problem here?" They both stopped what they were doing and looked to see the Commanding Military Officer of Atlantis standing there with his hands on his hips.

The marine snapped to attention at the sight of his commanding officer. "At ease, Lt. Now, how about you tell me what the hell is going on."

The scientist turned to face Sheppard. "This guy was harassing my sister. I was simply standing up for her." John looked around, but didn't see a woman anywhere near where the fight had started. "And where is your sister?" "She's not here, but he was telling me all the things that…well, that he could do to her, sir."

John slowly turned towards the Lt. Just looking at his face he could tell the man wasn't lying. "Lt., report to my office in one hour and we'll have a nice long discussion about this. Is that clear?"

The marine blushed. "Yes, sir." "Good. You're dismissed."

He turned back to the scientist. "Okay, what's your name and who's your sister?"

"I'm Dr. Alex Teagan. And my sister is Dr. Nikki Teagan, sir."

John sighed. General O' Neill had warned him about these siblings. From what he heard, trouble seemed to follow the two around. But, who didn't have trouble following them when they were in the Pegasus galaxy? "Okay, let me know if anything more is said. Have a good night."

"Yes, sir. And you too. Thank you." John nodded, turned and walked back to his teammates. Teyla looked up as he approached. "What was that all about, John?"

"Oh, you know. A marine had a few inappropriate words to say and her brother just happened to hear them. I'm going to find the sister now and then in an hour have a private conversation with the marine. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Ronon grunted his good-bye, Rodney didn't even look up from his laptop, and Teyla waved good-bye. Once John was out of earshot, Ronon spoke up, "I wonder what he's gonna do to that Marine. We all know how Sheppard is when it comes to protecting women."

Teyla sighed and nodded. "Yes, but by the look on the brother's face and the look on John's, the man may deserve it."

SGA

John walked down the hallway towards the science labs. He found Zalenka working away at one of his numberous projects. Radek looked up as John walked into the room.

"Colonel Sheppard. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me track done someone."

Radek picked up his data pad and swiveled in his chair to face the Colonel. "Of course. Who do you need to find?"

John walked towards the table Zalenka was working at. "Dr. Nikki Teagan. There was a fight just a few minutes ago involving her brother." "Ah, that's not good. Give me just one second to adjust the cities internal sensors to track down specific people."

He tapped away at his pad for a couple of minutes before he looked up. "It looks like she's in the gym closest to the central tower with some marines." Sheppard nodded and headed towards the door. "Thanks, Doc!" "No problem."

John made his way to the gym. He stopped just outside and watched as a woman with dark auburn hair fought off two men. He watched for a few minutes as the marines got their asses kicked and finally decided to intervene. "Dr. Teagan?"

She didn't pay any attention to him, but watched as the marines went from fighting stances to attention when they realized who had entered the gym. She finally turned to see who had interrupted their sparring. "At ease, marines. How about you get yourselves washed up and get some supper." They nodded, picked up their bags and left the gym.

"Can I help you with something?" John smirked at her attitude. She definitely wasn't like most of the other scientists who were intimidated by him. "Actually, you can. Have you ever talked to a Lt. Gordan?"

She walked over to her bag and picked up her water bottle. "Nope. Is the name supposed to sound familiar?"

"Actually, yes. You see, there was just a fight in the mess hall between the Lt. and your brother regarding you. Happen to know what that was all about?"

She was lifting her bottle to her mouth, but froze at his words. "Fight? Is my brother okay? What happened?" John put his hands in the air and stepped closer. "He's fine. I broke it up before any punches could be thrown. I guess the marine decided he wanted to get to know you a bit and your brother happened to be sitting close by. Now, you've never met the guy before?"

She stopped to think. "Well, I just got here today. He could be one of the ones I was sparring with earlier. I don't know any of the names of the guys I was sparring with. Some big guy with dreadlocks kept sending them in here to get their asses kicked."

He smirked. Of course. Ronon loved watched the marines get their asses kicked. Especially by women. He tapped his com. "Ronon, this is Sheppard. Come in." There was a pause then then Ronon's voice came over the com. "Yeah, Shep?" He almost smiled at the little nickname Ronon had gotten into the hang of using.

"That marine that was in the fight. Was he one of the ones you sent in to fight during a sparring match earlier today against Dr. Nikki Teagan?" There was silence for a few seconds. "Yeah. Is that who it was about?" "Sure was, buddy. Thanks, Sheppard out."

He turned to look at Nikki. "Well, looks like he was one of the ones you were sparring with. From now on, you may want to get the names of the men you're sparring with and kick their asses enough they won't want to slam you into a wall with passion."

He turned to leave, but Nikki called out for him. "Wait. Aren't you the CMO here?"

He turned back towards her and nodded. "Good to know." She smiled, picked up her bag, and walked right by him and out of the gym, leaving him there more confused than when he walked in.

SGA

An hour and a half later, a very embarrassed and pissed off marine exited Colonel Sheppard's office, passing Major Lorne on his way out. Lorne stuck his head in his office. "Is this a bad time, sir?"

Sheppard looked up from where he was sitting at his desk running a hand roughly through his hair. "No, come on in, Major."

Lorne walked in and sat down in a chair in front of the desk. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, what was that about?"

John closed his eyes for a moment and reopened them, focusing them on his second in command. "It seems the Lt. decided to tell his friends all about what he wanted to do to a certain 'hot as sin' doctor on his first day here only to make the mistake of saying it within earshot of her brother. The guy's lucky I was at the other end of the mess hall when it all went down, otherwise he'd probably be in the infirmary right about now."

Lorne nodded his head, "I see. On his first day here?" John nodded and sighed. The things he had to deal with being in command of the military on an Ancient base in a whole nother galaxy from Earth. "Let's just say, he won't be going off world for awhile, flying the jumpers, or pretty much anything else. He's grounded for a couple weeks to learn some manners."

Evan chuckled at his commander's words. Everyone knew the Colonel's low tolerance for sexual harassment and any harassment of any kind. Well, everyone except the newcomers that is.

"Well, that ought to teach him a lesson." John nodded and them remembered he had asked the Major to come here. "Major, have you ever heard of Nikki Teagan?"

There was a glint in Evan's eyes when Sheppard said her name. "Yes, sir. She's the one who's been kicking everyone's ass sparring. Even kicked mine earlier today. She's good. What is she? A Lt.?" John chuckled. "Actually, she's the female McKay with some kick ass moves and a background in medical science."

Lorne's eyes bugged out. "So, she's a triple threat." He nodded. "Yep. Let's just hope she's not as arrogant as Rodney. Otherwise we'll all be in trouble."


	2. Something Bad Always Happens

Chapter 2

A couple of weeks went by with the city being uncharacteristically calm and silent. The new members of the expedition had plenty of time to acquaint themselves with the new technology and their new home without the impending threat of the city blowing up, being attacked by alien species, virus' spreading havoc, you name it.

John walked into Elizabeth's office early one morning. "Does anything feel..off to you?"

Elizabeth looked up from her laptop and eyed the Colonel. "Not particularly. Why? Are you itching to go find us another problem to solve?" Sheppard starting pacing the floor in her office.

"It's just that my spidey senses are tingling. I don't know..maybe it's just because everything's been so..boring lately.."

There was a beat before Dr. Weir picked up on his hesitation. "But..?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her. "Something doesn't feel right." She closed her laptop and clasped her hands together on her desk. "I don't know, John. Maybe we finally just caught a break for once. Why don't you take the rest of the day off. Relax, spend time with your team. Maybe get to know some of the new people a little more. You never know, maybe it's just that you're getting anxious from having so much downtime."

John stopped and thought about what she was saying. "Maybe you're right. But if my spidey senses are tingling for a reason, you owe me a beer." She smiled and nodded. "You have a deal. Now go relax."

John made his way to the door. "Yes, ma'am."

He made his way to the mess hall to join his teammates for breakfast. When he arrived, the first thing he saw was Lt. Gordon marching over to where Nikki Teagan sat with some of her colleagues. He spun her chair around, grabbed her head between his hands and planted his mouth on hers. Immediately she started struggling against him, but he held her to him.

John ran over to them and grabbed Lt. Gordon by the shoulders. "That's enough, Lt.!" As soon as Sheppard's hands touched him, he snapped. Gordon let go of Nikki and then spun around so fast it was almost inhuman. He punched John across the jaw and sent him sprawling on the ground as if he were in basic training and not the CMO of an alien base. Gordon straddled John before he could move and starting punching the hell out of him. His strikes were so fast there was no way Sheppard could block him. Several marines tried prying him off of the Colonel, but he was too strong.

Ronon burst from his seat, crossed the mess hall in seconds and tackled Gordon to the ground. Vaguely he heard someone radio for a med team, but that was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.

About 4 hours later, John woke up in the infirmary with a nasty headache. He opened his eyes and looked around. Beckett was standing across the room talking to Rodney, Ronon, and Elizabeth. He looked to the other side of the room and saw Teyla talking to Nikki and Alex Teagan.

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain split through his skull and he squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to stop a soft moan from escaping his lips, but he failed. In seconds Dr. Beckett was standing over him with Elizabeth right behind him.

"How do you feel, Colonel?" He opened his eyes and made contact with Beckett.

"Like I was punched with inhuman strength and then pummeled like a first year. What the hell got into him?"  
"That's what we're still trying to figure out. There's nothing out of the ordinary about his scans, but we're keeping him isolated until further notice."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to speak. "John, what exactly happened?" He finally managed to sit up with a little help from Carson. He looked around to see that Teyla, Nikki, Alex, Rodney, and Ronon had also joined the conversation. "Well, I went to the mess hall right after leaving your office. When I walked in, I saw Gordon walk over to Teagan, spin her around and kiss her. I figured it was just a happy greeting. Until she started to struggle. And then I remembered the little discussion I had to have with the Lt. the first day he got here."

Rodney interrupted before he could continue, "Was that about the fight in the mess hall?" John nodded and continued, "I told him that's enough and grabbed his shoulder to move him away from her. As soon as I touched him..it was like he just snapped. He spun around so fast I didn't realize what was happening until I was laying on the ground with a sore jaw. Before I could move he straddled me and was beating the hell out of me. I've never seen anyone move that fast. Last thing I heard was someone calling for a medic." He turned and looked at Elizabeth. "Oh, and you owe me a beer."

She sighed and nodded her head. "Yes, I do. From now on I'll trust your spidey senses." John smirked at her. "Good."

"Whoah, wait a minute now. Spidey senses? Is there something I should know here?" "Calm down, Doc. I just had a feeling in my gut this morning that something was about to happen. I went and told Elizabeth here about it, but she told me it was probably just the boredom talking and sent me on my way. And then as soon as I got to the mess hall, the suspicion was confirmed."

Ronon looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Sheppard. "Wait, so you knew something was going to happen.." He turned and looked at Elizabeth, "And you played it off as nothing?"

She blushed slightly and nodded. "And that was obviously a mistake. But, how about we divert our efforts into trying to figure out with the Lt. all of a sudden felt the urge to sexually assault someone and then pounce the Colonel."

"I agree with Dr. Weir. There has to be some explanation for why Lt. Gordon suddenly attacked by Dr. Teagan and the Colonel."

"Aye, Teyla, you're right, but nothing's coming up in the tests I've run. Rodney, have you checked the database for something like this?"

Rodney looked up from his data pad. "Actually, that's what I'm doing right now. So far nothing, but it's only one case, so therefore there's only a limited amount of data I can use to search for. There's a good chance it might happen again or has happened and we just don't know about it yet."

As if on cue, Major Lorne walked in supporting the weight of Dr. Zalenka. "Doc! We could use some help over here!"

Beckett rushed over to them. Lorne had a cut on his temple with blood dripping down his face, but otherwise looked fine. Radek was only partially conscious and was suffering from an even greater head wound and a gash on his thigh.

"Oh mercy! What happened?"

Ronon rushed over and helped the major with Zalenka. They carried him over to a bed and laid him down. "Radek and I were talking about some idea he had about an improvement to the jumpers. He barely started talking about it before one of the scientists went crazy. She started throwing things: computers, chairs, trays, you name it. I tried dodging to get to her to try to calm her down, but she got me with some kind of tool. She shoved me against the wall before I knew what was happening and tried running out of the lab. She threw Zalenka into the wall across the room and he crashed down on a table."

Ronon turned his attention on Lorne, "Literally threw him into the wall?" Lorne looked up at the big guy and replied, "Yeah, picked him up and just hurled him across the room as if he didn't weigh a thing."

Sheppard looked up at Rodney. "Well, there you go, Rodney. There's another case of inhuman strength with a dose of insane."

McKay nodded and started typing furiously on his data pad. Lorne looked over at the Colonel as if just noticing he were there. "Colonel! What happened to you?"

John turned and looked at his second in command. "You haven't heard the whole city talking about it?"

Lorne moved closer to the bed. "No, sir. Dr. Zalenka and I took a trip over to the main land for a while so he could run some test on something. We've been gone since 0700, sir. When did this happen?"

John looked down at his watch, "Oh, I'd say about 0730. Gordon attacked Nikki in the mess hall, so I stepped in. Damn Gordon knocked me to the ground before I could say yahtzee. Straddled my legs and knocked me senseless for a few hours."

Evan's brow furrowed. "So, what? Are we dealing with some kind of epidemic? That can't be a coincidence." Elizabeth crossed her arms. "No. It can't. Let's get to the bottom of this before more people get seriously hurt."

Alex spoke up for the first time during the entire conversation, "Major, who was it that attacked you?" "It was Dr. Lisa Cavanaugh. She took off from the lab. There was no way I could catch up to her."

Sheppard nodded and looked over at a nurse. "Can I go? I just got knocked around a little. I'm fine." She walked over and checked his vitals and then the stitches on the side of his face. She looked over at Beckett and saw that he was busy with Radek. "Your vitals are fine. I'm going to give you some aspirin for the headache. Come back if it gets worse or persists, got it?"

He nodded and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood up and swayed a little. Thankfully the only ones who noticed him sway were Lorne and Nikki. Lorne put a hand on the Colonel's arm to brace him. Sheppard nodded righted himself.

"Okay, let's get to the bottom of this before I start going crazy myself."

They all left the infirmary, minus Lorne, leaving Beckett to his patients. Walking down the hallway, John turned to Rodney. "Have you found anything yet?"

Rodney glanced up, "What are you crazy? I've barely had five minutes to search with the new information from Lorne. Give me a few minutes."

"Rodney. Lorne, Radek, and I got lucky. The next person may not be. We need to find out what the hell is going on with here and figure out a way to stop it." He turned to Elizabeth, "Elizabeth, I suggest we suspend gate travel until all of this is resolved. We don't want to spread whatever this is across the galaxy."

"Agreed. I'll go make the order myself."

Right before she left the group to head to the control room, John grabbed her arm. "You're not going anywhere alone. Not until this is over. Nikki, you can kick some ass. Go with her."

"Yes, Colonel." He turned and looked at her. She had a smug look on her face and winked at him as her and Dr. Weir walked down a separate corridor on their way to the control room.

He shook his head and turned to look at Alex. "I want you to go around and try to keep people calm. They're probably going to panic soon and that'll just make things worse."

Alex nodded and made his way to the transporter that would take him to the mess hall. Perfect place to start.

Sheppard and his team made their way to Rodney's lab. They didn't come across anyone who had suddenly gotten any violent urges, which was a good thing. But who knew how this thing spread, what it was doing to their people, or how to stop it.

They got to the lab and Rodney set up more laptops. He started reconfiguring the sensors that way they would be alerted when a major outburst happened.

Sheppard turned to Ronon, "We need to get to the weapon's room. Get some stunners so we don't have to use bullets on our own people." "Agreed."

Teyla walked up to John. "I will stay here with Rodney in case anyone should try to attack him while he is working. I will contact you in case we're alerted to an outburst."

Sheppard nodded and moved towards the door. "Sounds like a plan. Keep in touch."

Him and Ronon exited the lab and made their way to the weapon's room. Still everything was quiet. And then a woman was thrown over a railing and landed an entire story beneath. Sheppard rushed down the stairs and searched for a pulse. Ronon pulled out his gun and tried to target the woman who had thrown the other woman over the railing. She was already at the other end of the corridor and gaining speed. He fired once and it hit her between the shoulders.

It didn't even seem to faze her. He fired two more times before she finally went down with a tumble of her own. Sheppard appeared at Ronon's side. He looked down and asked about the woman who had fallen. Sheppard simply shook his head and made his way towards the woman Ronon had stunned.

She was laying there unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. "Medical team to levels 24 and 25."

He stepped over her and walked into the weapon's room. He grabbed a stunner for himself, one for Ronon and one for Teyla.

They made their way back to the science lab and he handed Teyla the stunner. "Any other outburst besides the one we took care of?"

She turned and looked at the screen. "Not that I've seen. What is the plan now?"

John seemed to contemplate the options for a moment before answering. "Ronon and I will head up to the control room. Any outbursts or any progress, let me know." She nodded and went back to monitoring the cities sensors for any signs of sudden outbursts.

Once in the control room, John and Ronon found people unconscious, but alive scattered among the floor. It was clear there had been a fight. He reached up and tapped his com. "Elizabeth, this is Sheppard. Please respond…Elizabeth, this is Sheppard. Please respond…Dr. Nikki Teagan, please respond. Nikki Teagan, I repeat. Please respond this is Colonel Sheppard."

He turned and looked at Ronon. "Nothing." "What do we do now, Sheppard?"

John looked around at everyone laying on the floor. "Medical team to the control room. Several wounded." He turned back to Ronon. "You check and make sure they're alive. I'll check communications just in case."

He picked up one of the laptops that had been knocked to the ground. Surprisingly it was still intact. He pulled up communications and found out that they had been manually disabled. There was no way for him to contact anyone on base. "New plan. Let's head back to the weapon's room and get radios. We'll distribute them to Rodney, Teyla, Lorne, Stackhouse, and anyone else we may need to contact. We'll set up a base in the mess hall. That's where Alex was heading when we separated."

They distributed the radios they collected to the infirmary, Lorne, Markham, Teyla, and Rodney.

"Sheppard! I know what it is." John clicked on his radio. "Good! What is it?"

"It's some kind of chemical that messes with the chemicals in the brain. That's why people are turning violent. This thing spreads through touch, so chances are we all have it by now. The database says it only works on those who don't possess the ancient gene. Well, that's a relief. At least the entire base isn't about to go nuts."

"No, but most of it is and those aren't good odds. Is there a cure or antidote? Anything to stop this?"

There was a long pause of silence. "Rodney!" "Yes, hang on! I'm still trying to figure that one out. I'm going to send this information to Beckett. Maybe he can figure something out."

"Good idea. We're heading to the mess hall to set up a control center. Meet us there."

"Understood. McKay out."

Ronon glanced over at Sheppard. "Well, at least we know what it is now." "Well aren't you ever the optimist." Ronon grunted and continued walking towards the mess hall.

Once the control center was established and several people were relocated to the mess hall for refuge, they started to formulate a plan. Elizabeth and Nikki walked right as they were working through their options.

John looked up and saw Weir's panicked expression and Nikki's more calm and in control expression. He took a wild guess and assumed they had been attacked or very nearly on their way here.

A good portion of the base made it to the mess hall. About one fourth of the expedition had fallen "ill" due to the chemical and they were running out of options and out of time.

"Colonel! Do we know what this thing is yet?" "Where the hell have you two been? And yes, we do. We're working out a plan now."

Nikki stepped up beside John. "When we got to the control room, it was under attack. I didn't want to take the risk of Dr. Weir getting hurt so we snuck out undetected and hid in the jumper bay for a while, waiting for the control room to empty. And then I figured you'd set up a control center here and we've been trying to make our way here ever since."

John nodded and turned back to the group. "Okay. What are our options?"

Rodney looked up from his pad, "Well, we could set the self-destruct and abandon the city. You know..as a last option." Weir stepped into the group. "That's not an option. What else?"

There was silence. And then Nikki spoke up. "Has Dr. Beckett or McKay found any sort or antidote for it?"

McKay looked back up from his pad. "No, I have not. I have been looking, but there's nothing here. I think we're on our way on this one, Colonel."

John nodded and looked around at everyone. He pressed the button on his radio, "Beckett, this is Sheppard, come in." "This is Beckett."

"Doc, have you come up with anything we could use against this thing?"

There was a moment's pause and then, "Aye, I have, but you're not gonna like it."

Half an hour later, Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney and Nikki were all standing in the infirmary standing around Carson's lab table. "Okay, Doc. Let's hear it."

Beckett looked up at the Colonel. "Rodney was wrong. There was something in the database. He just looked right over it. I would have too if I hadn't have been looking back over it a dozen times since I first got it. All we have to do is release a certain chemical into the air. That chemical will counteract the effects of the chemical that is now effecting them."

"Okay, get to the part that I'm not going to like."

"It has to be administered by those with the ancient gene. Otherwise the effects of that chemical will cause serious side effects."

Rodney about jumped for joy. "That's it? That's all we have to do?"

"Sadly, no. Since not everyone who doesn't have the gene has been infected by this damned chemical, we can't simply put it through the air vents. That would be disastrous. The only other way is to inject each person infected by it when the chemical from a syringe. And that's where the tricky part comes in. You'll have to get close enough to them to inject them."

Ronon put his hand up, "Wait, why do we have to have the ancient gene in order to inject with a needle?"

"The new chemical omits a type of pheromone, even in liquid state. For anyone who does not possess the ancient gene to come into contact with that pheromone would be bad. Very bad."

John was getting tired of this. "Okay. That means Elizabeth, Teyla, and Ronon, you're sitting this one out. Rodney, better get over your fear of needles fast and learn how to use them. Nikki, do you have the gene?"

She looked up at the Colonel and saw hope in his eyes. "Yeah, and from what I hear, I have a pretty strong dose of the stuff too."

"Aye, hers is almost as strong as yours, Colonel. The three of you will have to be fast and make sure all of the chemical gets into their system."

They spent the next fifteen minutes being given a lesson in Needles and Injections 101.

Teyla and Ronon took Elizabeth back to the mess hall, just to be on the safe side. John, Rodney, and Nikki got geared up and set up a way to convert the life signs detectors from the jumpers into sensors that would tell them if someone was infected by the chemical.

Once they got the detectors and then configured them properly, they split up. There were at least thirty people they had to inject with the new chemical. They each got ten a person. Before they went their separate ways, Sheppard turned and looked at the two. "Every time you inject one, radio it in. Understood? That way we can keep tabs on how many are left. And make sure your position is known to this group so there aren't any more problems."

They nodded their heads and split up. Five minutes into the searching, Nikki's voice came over the radio, "Got my first one and am coming up behind the second."

John pressed his radio, "Copy that. I'm about to get my first. Rodney?"

There was silence for a moment. "Yeah, just got my first. I hope."

"You hope? Did you get 'em or not?"

More silence.. "Yeah, I got 'em. Moving onto the second."

Soon they had injected twenty-five out of the thirty people. They had only run into few problems so far.

And then the one John was after snuck up behind him, shoved him against the wall and tried biting his neck. He braced one arm against the woman holding him, keeping her a little distance away from him. He barely managed to reach around and grab the next injection and stick it into the side of her neck before she knocked his arm loose and actually bit him. He screamed out in pain at the same time she did from his stabbing her with the needle.

He pushed her back and she collapsed on the ground. He reached up for his radio. "Well..another one bites the dust. And took a chunk out of my neck. I think they're getting territorial. Watch your six."

Rodney radioed in, but John had yet to hear from Teagan. She wasn't responding to her radio. "Rodney, can you locate her?" "Hang on, let me check."

A minute goes by and then the radio clicks. "Yeah, she's..about two levels below you with..oh god. There's two of them in the same room as her. You better get down there, Sheppard!" Rodney hadn't even finished his sentence and John was already running full steam down the levels toward her.

He stopped outside one of the rooms on that level when he heard scuffling. He peered in and saw Nikki gab the needle in her hand into the side of the man's neck who was standing in front of her. There was also another man sneaking up behind her.

The man lurched for Nikki, knocking into her and sandwiching her between the man she just injected and the man that attacked her. John lunged forward. The man was clawing at her back, trying to tear her apart it seemed. She was too big for him, one of the more experienced marines.

Right before the man snapped her neck, John jammed the needle into his neck and he went limp almost instantly.

He looked up at Nikki who just stood there speechless. "Are you okay?" She nodded and looked down at the man lying on the floor. "Thanks. He almost killed me." "No problem."

She looked up and saw the blood running down the Colonel's neck from where the woman had bit him. She moved towards him and grabbed one of the compressant bandages from her tact vest. "Here, hold still. You're bleeding." "I am?"

He reached up to his neck, and sure enough there was blood. He stood there as she pressed the bandage to his neck and then wrapped it around his neck and fastened it to keep it on. "There. That should do until we're done." "Now it's my turn to thank you." She smiled up at him and nodded. "Why yes, yes it is." He smiled and they just stood there for a few moments just staring at each other smiling.

And then Rodney's voice came over the radio, making both of them jump, "Sheppard? Nikki? Hello!"

John reached down and clicked his radio. "We're fine, McKay. We got both of them. Two left. We'll go after the one closest to us. You got the last one?"

McKay snorted. "Yeah. Sure. Why not. Let's just get this over with so I can take a nice long nap." John rolled his eyes and looked down at his sensor. The other one was one level down.

They made their way down there quickly and quietly. Nikki went for one side while he went for the other. She accidentally stepped on something and it broke, making a loud, echoing noise in the room. The woman stopped and turned in her direction. Then slowly moved towards her location. John jumped out from behind the crates he was hiding behind and stabbed the needle into her neck. Right as she dropped to the floor, Rodney radioed them saying he was done.

They made it back to the infirmary and told Beckett where all the people had dropped so his med teams could go find them. He waved off Carson's inquiries about his neck and quickly left the infirmary when he was distracted with something. He made his way to the mess hall and informed everyone it was safe and that the threat had been eliminated.

Mass cheering went up in the mess hall and he sank down into a chair, exhausted. Nikki joined him and soon the rest of the team did as well. Elizabeth walked over to their group. "Nice work, John."

He looked up at her. "Thanks. So, Elizabeth. When do I get that beer?"


	3. Good Times

Chapter 3

One week ago today, John Sheppard was promoted from Lt. Colonel to full Colonel. He was promoted based on his exemplary work with the Replicators and the Wraith. He was gone from Pegasus for almost 3 weeks because of the promotion. They had a dinner and ceremony in his name. And John hated just about every minute of both since everyone's attention was on him for most of the night.

He had taken a week off to spend with his brother while he was back on Earth. Since his father had died, he had tried to make a point of getting to know his brother again.

And now he was finally back home on Atlantis. All senior staff had accompanied him to Earth and they were all happy to be home finally. Since they had found an extra ZPM, they didn't have to take the Daedalus and be gone for even longer.

While they were gone, Major Evan Lorne had been in charge. He had stayed behind since Dr. Weir and Teyla were accompanying Sheppard.

John walked into the control room and eyed Lorne standing by one of the control panels. "Lorne! Anything happen while we were away?"

Evan looked up at his commanding officer. "Well, we've had a couple of bumps but nothing too bad. Stackhouse's team was kept captive for a few hours, but we managed to rescue them before any of them were seriously injured. There was a slight problem with one of the jumpers and it caused an away team to almost fly into a sun. But that's about it."

John smirked, "Oh. So the usual then." Evan chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, same ole same ole here in the Pegasus Galaxy. Oh, I heard about the promotion. Congratulations, sir!"

Sheppard looked away and blushed slightly. "Thanks, Lorne. I'm full bird now. Was Zalenka able to fix the problem on that jumper?"

Lorne grabbed the data pad that was sitting on the control panel he was standing by. He typed a few things and looked up at the Colonel. "Yes, sir. It looks like he got everything back to working order about an hour ago. He must still be up there running tests just to make sure."

John nodded and made his way to the jumper bay. "Keep me posted." "Will do, sir."

Sheppard walked into the jumper bay and found Radek and Nikki running a few tests on jumper one. He walked up the ramp and they turned their attention on him. "Colonel Sheppard! You're early. I thought you wouldn't be getting back until next week."

John looked at Nikki sitting in the cock pit. "Yeah, we were supposed to, but we got a little restless." Radek looked back down at his laptop. "You mean you got a little restless."

John smiled and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, well, what can I say? Being away from this place for too long makes me restless. I wanted to get back home."

Nikki set down her laptop and walked to the rear compartment where Zalenka and Sheppard were. "So. What's it feel like to be a full bird?" Radek stopped typing and looked up at the two of them. "Full bird? What's that?" Sheppard chuckled and explained to him that that's what a full Colonel is called. "Ah. I see. Wait, you got promoted?"

He gave a half-grin and nodded. "Ceremony and everything. At least now I'm on the same level as Colonel Carter and Colonel Caldwell. I've never been the greatest at being under someone's command.

Nikki snorted and shook her head. "That's a shocker." She gave him a sassy grin and walked back into the cock pit to finish her test.

"So, Zalenka, how long until she's up and ready to take a test flight?"

"Well..let's see. Nikki, are you done with your tests?" There was a loud beep and then she turned to them and said, "Sure am. If you're done with yours, I'd be more than happy to take her out with the Colonel here. If something goes wrong, I should be able to fix it."

Radek nodded and started gathering his equipment. Nikki helped unload everything that wasn't necessary and then climbed in. John was already sitting in the pilot's seat when she walked into the cock pit. "I don't suppose there's any chance of you letting me fly her?"

John smirked. "Not a chance. I've been gone for three weeks. That's far too long. I need to..reacquaint myself with her. You understand."

She snorted and sat down in the co-pilot's chair and started running diagnostics that would run the entire time they were in the air. John radioed the control room and let them know they were taking her out on a test flight. "Have someone watching the sensors and keeping an eye on the jumper just to be sure. If you don't hear from us in twenty minutes, try to get ahold of you. Just to be on the safe side."

Lorne's voice came over the radio, "Copy that. You're good to go."

"See you in a little bit, Major. Be sure to keep the porch light on for us."

The bay doors opened and the jumped rose up and out of the jumper bay. John eased her up to a good altitude and held steady for a while just to make sure she wasn't going to suddenly drop out of the sky.

They didn't talk for a while. Neither knowing what to really say, but the silence was getting to Nikki.

"So..Colonel." She looked over at him and he turned to look at her. "Yes, Dr.?"

"Nikki." He almost smiled. "Nikki. Is there something on your mind?"

"Well, now that you mention it. I was wondering what it was like being a recluse."

That caught him off guard. "Excuse me? I'm not a recluse."

She flashed him a smile. "So, then you have a girlfriend I assume." He paused. What the hell was she getting at..?

"Well..no..but I'm not a recluse!" She snickered as he stammered to get out his sentence.

"Is there no one worthy enough to you on this base?" His eyes widened and he stared at her.

"That is definitely not the case. Why the hell are you asking me these questions?"

She turned and looked down at her controls, checking the diagnostics as she continued the conversation. "Well, the only time I see you out and around the city you're either with someone in the military, with your team, or alone. So, I figured the first was you doing your job, the second making sure your team doesn't trash talk you, and the third because you're a loner."

This conversation was getting very personal very quickly. Why the hell were they talking about his social and personal life?

"Yes, the first is me doing my job. The second is me spending time with my friends. They're not just my team. And I have other friends besides them. And I am not a loner, thank you very much."

She didn't say anything, but looked over at him when he spoke up a little quieter. "Besides. Not many people want to spend quality time with their commanding officer."

So that's why he's usually only with his team, she thought. "You know, you'd be surprised at how many people look up to you on the base. I bet a lot of girls would die at the chance of being with you."

He looked over at her confused. "Oh really? Is that so? And are you one of those girls who would just die at the chance?"

She gave him a small smile before she turned back to her controls. "I wouldn't say I'd die.."

SGA

A couple of hours later, they were back in Atlantis and making their way to the mess hall. Lunch was almost over and they were both starving.

She was right at the end of telling one of her many stories that tended to make people laugh. They walked through the mess hall doors laughing and smiling as they made their way to get food.

Rodney looked up when he heard the familiar sound of Sheppard's laugh. He looked over in the direction he had heard it and watched as the Colonel and Nikki Teagan crossed the mess hall and got in line to get food. He looked over at Ronon and Teyla. "Is there something going on between those two? They're awfully..happy."

Ronon looked up from his food. "What are you talking about, McKay?"

He pointed over to the couple getting their food. John was recounting something and using big hand gestures. The look on his face was pure happiness. None of them had seen him that happy in a long time. Ronon and Teyle exchanged looks and smiled. Teyla leaned forward, "Do you not remember the conversation we had with John while on Earth before we came back?"

Rodney scoured his brain for a minute before looking back up at Teyla. "No. We had a conversation about Sheppard and Teagan?"

Ronon grunted and nodded.

They had all gone out to eat at a sit-down restaurant not too far from the base. They were celebrating in their own little way the Colonel's promotion. They had all been laughing and having a good time while waiting for their food. And then Ronon spoke up.

"So, Shep. What's going on between you and Nikki?" John looked up at his friend and raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Teyla smiled and leaned towards him. "We all see the smiles you two share not so secretly. And you seem..happier than usual."

John shrugged and looked down at the table. "We're friends. That's all."

Ronon grunted and shook his head. "We all know you like her, Shep. Why don't you man up and tell her?" John almost choked on the beer he had just taken a sip of. "Excuse me? She doesn't like me, so there's nothing to man up about."

Ronon smiled, "So you do like her! I knew it." He turned to Teyla. "I told you he liked her."

Teyla's smile got bigger as she nodded. "I knew he did just by the glances they would throw each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. John, you may need a lesson in subtlety while we're on your..in your country." She almost slipped up and said on your planet while in a crowded restaurant. That wouldn't have been good.

John shook his head and looked away. "I don't know what you guys are talking about. She's just a flirt. She flirts with all the guys. And plus, I'm the CMO of..the base. I don't know how appropriate a relationship would be."

Teyla shook her head at him and leaned back in her seat. "She is a scientist, John. She is not in the military. I've become aware of the different rules and regulations of your military." Ronon nodded his head, "Yeah, same here. And she's not on the team."

Teyla continued what Ronon was getting at. "So therefore it isn't against any of your rules."

Sheppard nodded and looked up at both of them watching him. "I see you two have given this a lot of thought. You know, it's kind of creepy that you guys have been watching me."

Ronon grunted and Teyla smiled. "We are only trying to help, John." "You know she's right, Shep. We just want to see you happy for once. Now grow a set and tell her. Or I will."

Rodney looked up from his phone. "Hm? What are we talking about?"

"Oh. I was talking to Jennifer while we were there. That must have been during that conversation. I totally tuned it out. Are you sure they like each other?"

Ronon grunted again and Teyla rolled her eyes. "We are very certain. If you need more proof, just look at them." He turned and watched as they sat at a table by themselves where no one else was around. He was telling another story and watching as she couldn't contain her laughter. He had a huge smile on his face. "Huh, I guess you're right. So is he going to do anything about it?"

He turned and looked back at his teammates. Teyla shrugged and sighed. Ronon looked over at them and continued watching them. "We don't know. He played it off as nothing on Earth, but it's obvious it's not nothing."

Ronon got a mischievous look on his face and turned to Teyla. "I know that look, Ronon. What are you planning?"

He smiled and leaned in closer to the table and told Rodney and Teyla his plan, making sure no one around them could overhear.


	4. Ronon's Plan

Chapter 4

Ronon and Teyla followed Rodney to his lab. They refused to leave McKay alone in case he accidentally slipped up and told Sheppard their plan. Knowing him, he would act suspicious, John would start asking questions, and then before you know it, their plan was out in the open.

The plan was to lure both of them to the same room and then cut off power to the door to that room, locking them in for a while. Ronon wanted to cut off communications as well, but they decided it would just make Sheppard panic if he were unable to get ahold of anyone.

Rodney was typing away at his laptop trying to figure out a way to shut off power to only that room. "Okay, I think I've got it. Go ahead and lure them there." Teyla tapped her com, "Colonel Sheppard, this is Teyla. Please respond."

"Go ahead, Teyla." She looked up at Ronon and he nodded. "There seems to be some kind of power failure in a section near your location. Rodney was wondering if you could go check it out."

"That's fine. Just tell me where to go." Teyla relayed where to go and Ronon tapped his com. "Dr. Nikki Teagan, please respond."

There was a moment of silence and then her voice crackled over the radio. "This is Teagan."

"McKay needs you to go to a certain section of the city and check out a power failure. Said you'd be able to fix it."

She snorted before she responded. "Of course he does. What's the location?" Ronon told her where to go and then they sat back and watched the internal sensors as both Sheppard and Teagan approached the room from opposite directions.

SGA

John rounded the corner and found the room Teyla had told him to go to. He entered it and walked straight over to the control panel on the wall. He was about to hit his com when Nikki walked in and stopped and stared at him. "Colonel. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you." And then the door slammed shut behind Nikki. She turned around and waved her hand over the door sensor. Nothing happened. She waved it again, but still nothing happened.

She walked over to the control panel John was standing at. He moved aside since she actually knew what she was doing. She switched around a couple of crystals, but still nothing happened. She messed around with the panel for a good five minutes before finally giving up. "There's nothing I can do from this end."

John hit his com. "McKay, I'm trapped in that room Teyla sent me to. Any way you can open the door and let us out?"

Rodney looked over at Teyla and Ronon and they smiled. "Us? Colonel, who else is with you?"

Sheppard almost rolled his eyes. "Nikki's with me. Now can you open the damn door or not?"

"Give me a few minutes to see what I can do." "Just hurry it up, Rodney. Let me know when you have something." "Will do. McKay out."

John turned back to Nikki. "Well, McKay is working on it."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You said, Teyla sent you here? Why'd she send you here?"

He moved over to a bench that was conveniently sitting against the opposite wall. "She said McKay wanted me to check out some power failure since I was closer."

She moved and sat down next to him. "Wait, Ronon asked me to come check out a power failure here. According to him, McKay wanted me to check out a power failure and fix it."

They looked at each and held eye contact for a minute. Then John reached up and hit his com. "Ronon. Teyla. Please respond."

They looked at each other and Teyla sighed. "Well, that didn't take long." Rodney snorted, "Well, what did you expect? Teagan is a scientist. She's smarter than Zalenka. And Sheppard. Well, I have to admit he's smarter than he looks. Actually passed the Mensa test."

"Ronon. Teyla. Please respond." Teyla reached up and hit her com. "Yes, Colonel?"

"What the hell is going on?" She looked over at Ronon. "I do not know what you mean."

"Sure you do. And so does Ronon. Now, tell me what the hell is going on or both of you will be going on the next science mission to the mainland. Overnight."

"We figured two heads were better than one when dealing with this power failure. McKay said if it was not fixed, it could mean other problems for Atlantis. You are smart, John, so I recommended to Rodney that you should assist Dr. Teagan in the repairs. I hope this is alright with you, John."

Sheppard rolled his eyes and looked at Nikki. "You're still not off the hook. Just so you know. Let me know when McKay figures things out." "I will, John. Teyla out."

Sheppard and Nikki just sat there for a few minutes, neither knowing what exactly to say. It was obvious this was planned out and John had a pretty good guess as to why.

"Well, Colonel. It looks like we're going to be stuck in here together for a while."

"John." She looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "What?"

He looked over at her and rested his head against the wall. "Call me John. You don't have to use my rank." She smiled and scooted a little closer to him. "Well then, John, what do you want to talk about?"

SGA

McKay snapped his fingers together. "I have an idea. We have no way of knowing when he finally asks her and when we can open the doors. Unless I tap into the city's cameras and we do a little investigating."

Teyla shook her head. "I don't know, Rodney. I feel that would invade the Colonel's privacy a bit too much."

Ronon smirked, "I think it's a great idea. That way we know he actually manned up and did it. It'll only be us three watching and we're his friends. He doesn't have to know." He threw McKay a pointed look as if to say, "And you better not tell him."

Rodney threw his hands into the air. "I won't! I swear!" Teyla sighed and nodded her head. "Go ahead, Rodney. But make sure only the three of us see this."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do what I can."

A couple of minutes later, a screen popped up on his laptop. It was a clear view of Sheppard and Nikki sitting close together on a bench on the other side of the room. Ronon and Teyla grabbed chairs and brought them over. They crowded around the laptop. "Is there sound to this video?"

Rodney nodded, "Yeah. They're just not talking yet."

SGA

"So. John. I thought we'd decided you weren't going to be a recluse anymore."

He turned and looked at her. "Like I said before, I am not a recluse."

She snorted and turned to look at him. "Uh huh. Sure you're not." He shook his head and almost snorted himself. "Why do you always think I'm a recluse? Just because I don't go around flirting with every one of the opposite sex like you?"

"Excuse me? I do not flirt with every guy I see, thank you very much." This time he actually did snort. "And even if I did, why would you care?" He was silent for a minute.

"So I hear you've been taking flying lessons with Lorne."

She rolled her eyes and looked away. "Yes, I have. Since a certain pilot won't teach me, I had to learn somehow."

He nodded his head and stared at the opposite wall. "I'll take you out flying sometime if you want." She snapped her head around and stared at him. "You will?"

He turned and his eyes connected with hers. A small smile appeared on his face. "As long as you don't kill us." She rolled her eyes and bumped his shoulder with hers. His smile grew and he continued to stare at her. "Why are you staring at me?"

He chuckled and looked away. "No reason."

SGA

"Huh. Don't they make a cute couple." Ronon grunted and watched the screen. He was getting a little frustrated with Sheppard for continually avoiding the obvious. He had had several openings, but he didn't take a single one. He kept changing the subject.

"Ronon, are you sure this was such a good idea? If he finds out we were behind this, he will not be too happy with us." Ronon turned and looked at Teyla. "He won't find out. As long as McKay here keeps his mouth shut."

"I won't tell him! Jeeze, you act as if I can't keep a secret." Teyla and Ronon exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes.

"Okay. See! He's getting somewhere now!"

SGA

"Can I ask you a question, John?"

He turned and looked at Nikki. "Why not." She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Why are you so close to your team and not so much with everyone else?"

He stopped and thought about that for a minute. "Every time I walk through the stargate, I know that my team has my six and they know I have theirs."

"Well yeah, but it's more than that. I see the way you guys interact with each other."

He looked away and looked down at his hands. "I don't really have anyone to go back to on Earth. My dad died and even when he was alive we always fought. I have a brother, but that doesn't mean much. My point is...They mean more to me than friends. They're...my family. Teyla..is like the sister I never had. She acts like a mother for the team and she's perfect for the job. Ronon, hah. Well, he's one of a kind. I've never seen as much loyalty as he has for his team. I can always count on him to have my six and do his damnedest to do everything he can to get us all home. I don't know what we'd...I'd do without him here."

Nikki nodded her head. She reached over and grabbed John's hand and squeezed it. "What about Rodney?"

He chuckled to himself. "Ah, Rodney. He can be arrogant, full of himself, over the top, and obnoxious, but…he has a good heart. He's saved my ass more times than I can count. He's kind of like the little brother of the group. The annoying one that drives you crazy, but you can't seem to live without him. Don't tell him this, but he's definitely an important part of my team."

"You really care about your team. I have never seen someone so attached and thankful for their teammates. Is there anyone else on this base that's in your adopted family?"

He smiled and blushed slightly. "Well. Elizabeth means a great deal to me. She's like an aunt or something, hah. And then there's Beckett and Lorne. Lorne's like a brother to me. More of a brother than my real one. How sad is that."

She squeezed his hand again and placed her other hand on his arm. "I don't know what I'd do without these people. I can't imagine going back to my life before Atlantis. All I had then was a dad who never wanted me to be happy, a brother who took my dad's side and an ex-wife who…oh yeah, took my dad's side."

"Have you told any of them any of this?" He laughed and looked at her. "For one, I'm not good when it comes to talking about…feelings. This right here is rare. And for two…well, to them I'm probably just their team leader and the one who comes to rescue their asses when they get in trouble."

"Maybe you should tell them. At least in your own little way."

He paused for a minute to collect his thoughts. "I told Teyla once that I'd give my life for any one of them. And I would. I wouldn't hesitate. Not for a second."

Nikki leaned in a little closer to John. "You're very protective of them. I wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

He leaned slightly closer. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." She smiled and they both closed the distance and their lips met. It was just a light kiss that last a few seconds. John pulled away slightly and stared into her eyes. "Would this be a good time to ask if you'd like to have dinner sometime?" She laughed and her smile lit her entire face. "I'd love to. On one condition."

He raised an eyebrow. "And what is that?" She paused to let the suspense grow a little. "You have to kiss me again. And kiss me like you mean it." His smile was just as powerful as hers was. "I think that can be arranged."

He grabbed both sides of her head with his hands and kissed her passionately. After a moment, his right hand slid to cup the back of her neck and his thumb on his left hand was rubbing circles on her cheek. Her hands went up and rested on his chest. They stayed that way for a few minutes, just reveling in each other's scents and feel.

She pulled back this time and looked at him. "Wow. You know, some of the other women scientists have this theory that you're a pretty good kisser."

"Oh really? And did I just prove them right?" She giggled and rolled her eyes. "I'll let you figure that one out on your own."

He snorted and pulled her in for another kiss.

SGA

Ronon fist pumped the air. "It's about damn time, Sheppard!" Teyla grinned and joined in with Ronon's happiness for their friend. Rodney turned to look at them. "You know what bothers me?"

"Oh don't you start, McKay. Just be happy for them." He nodded, "Oh, I am. Believe me. But…it's just something that Sheppard said."

Teyla turned to look at him, sobering up a little from her excitement. "What is that, Rodney?"

"Well, he said that he's sure he's just a team leader to us and someone who comes and saves our asses when we get in trouble. Does he really think he doesn't mean that much to us? I mean, I don't know about you guys, but…he's more than that."

Teyla nodded and looked back at the screen. "I agree. It saddens me that he thinks we think so little of him. Surely he must know he means more to us. I wonder if there is anything we can do to make him see the truth."

Rodney nodded and started thinking. "Maybe we could..no, that'd never work. Oh! How about..no..that wouldn't work either."

Ronon snorted, "We can't do anything obvious. Otherwise he's gonna know we heard everything he just said."

"Ronon is right. Maybe if we just do some little things that show how much we care. Like things we say in a conversation? He must not know we were listening and watching this."

Rodney nodded and turned back to the screen. "Um..so when should I open the door?"

Ronon smiled. "Oh, give them some more time. I'm sure they're not in any hurry to leave."


	5. Is Something Wrong with John?

Chapter 5

John Sheppard walked around with a smile on his face all day. Where normally he would be walking around looking down at a mission report or a data pad as he walked, he kept his head high and interacted with people he passed.

It caused him to get some pretty strange looks from people. He walked into his office and sat down. Immediately he got started on all his overdue paperwork. Usually he just pushed it off on Lorne until he was forced into doing it himself, but today was different. Today he actually wanted to get something accomplished and why not start off with all of his paperwork?

About two hours later, Lorne walked into the office and stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't believe his eyes. John Sheppard was actually sitting there doing paperwork that he could've pushed onto him. "Can I be frank, sir?" John looked up and smiled. "Go right ahead, major."

Lorne stepped forward and sat down in the chair opposite of the desk. "Is everything okay? You're not dying or anything?" John laughed and set down his pen. "Not that I know of. Unless you know something I don't." Evan shook his head and looked at all the paperwork spread out about his desk.

"Oh, you mean the paperwork. Yeah, I just felt like doing it. Actually, I just finished the last report. Everything's all done for the week."

Lorne's head snapped up. "Okay, let's walk down to the infirmary. Just to be on the safe side."

Sheppard rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. "That's not necessary, Lorne. I'm fine."

"Sir, just humor me, will you? If you really are fine, awesome. I'll look like the idiot. But if something really is wrong with you, it's best to find out sooner rather than later."

John rolled his eyes, but stood up. "Fine. But I'm telling you, I'm in perfect shape."

They walked down to the infirmary and Lorne told Sheppard to sit on one of the beds while he went to find Beckett. He walked into Beckett's office to find him and Nikki looking over some research. Carson looked up when Lorne walked in. "What can I do for you, Major?"

"Well, sir, it's the Colonel." Beckett stood up and moved toward Lorne while Nikki's head snapped up and she stared at Evan. "Oh bloody hell. What has he done this time?"

"I'm not saying anything's wrong with him, well, actually I'm not sure. I just brought him here to be on the safe side." Carson raised an eyebrow, but let the man finish. "Doc, you and I both know the relationship the Colonel has with paperwork." Carson nodded. "Aye, he pushes it off onto anyone else until he absolutely has to do it. I don't think I've actually seen him do a lick of paperwork since I've known the man. Wouldn't be surprised if I never did."

"Well, see, that's the thing. I walked into his office and he was sitting there surrounded by piles of paperwork and it's only two weeks overdue. And he said when I walked in that he had just finished it. That was three weeks worth of paperwork he finished. In one day."

Carson looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his sockets. "And that's not all. The reason I went to his office was because a few people had come up to me and asked if there was something wrong with the Colonel. I shrugged it off at first, until more people started asking. We all know how withdrawn he is unless he's with certain people, but today he was walking around with a huge smile on his face and actually interacting with people the entire way to his office. And in the mess hall this morning for breakfast. McKay, Ronon, and Teyla all confirmed that he was acting weird. So, I figured it wouldn't do any harm to drag him down here and have you take a look at him. Just to be on the safe side."

Beckett scratched the back of his head and wrapped his head around everything for a minute. "Aye, I agree. That is very odd behavior for him. If he's just suddenly happy, then good for him, but I haven't heard any rumors or anything about something happening for him to suddenly be so damn happy. Have you?"

Lorne gave him a small smile. "Well, I heard one, but I didn't believe it." Carson narrowed his eyes and was about to ask what it was regarding, but the slightest shake of Lorne's head stopped him from doing so. "Okay, Major, let's go check out our Colonel." Nikki watched as the two of them walked out of the office.

Is he really just happy about tonight, or is something really wrong with him…, thought Nikki. She walked to the door of Carson's office and watched as he and Lorne walked up to Sheppard.

"Hello, Colonel. How are you feeling today?"

"Listen, Doc, I'm fine. Really, I am. Lorne's just overly anxious." He gave Lorne a look and Evan chuckled. He hoped it was just him being anxious.

"Well, I'll be the one to determine that. Lie down and let me run some tests just to be on the safe side."

An hour and a half later, Carson walked back over to where Lorne and Sheppard were standing. "Well, every test came back fine. Physically there's nothing wrong with you."

Sheppard turned and looked at Lorne. "See! I told you. I'm fine. Now can I please go back to work?"

"Colonel, has anything been going on lately? Anything new happening in your life that has suddenly caused such a drastic change?"

Sheppard blushed and looked down at the group for a fraction of a second. "I'm sure you've already heard the rumors. It wouldn't surprise me, but if you'll excuse me, I'm late for a meeting with Elizabeth." Right as he was about to walk away, he caught site of Nikki at the other end of the infirmary. She was watching him and she gave him a sassy smile and winked. He gave her a small smile back. He didn't want to get caught by the two inspectors who were staring insistently at him.

He turned around and walked out of the infirmary. Lorne and Beckett had both seen the look in his eyes and the smile that flashed across his face. They turned to where he'd been looking, but no one was there. They looked at each other and narrowed their eyes. "Major, I suggest you keep an eye on him." "Agreed."

SGA

John walked into Elizabeth's office and plopped down in a chair. She looked up from her laptop and raised an eyebrow. He just smiled at her and sat there. "So, you wanted to see me?"

She looked at her watch and then back up at him. "Yes, half an hour ago." He smirked and looked down at his own watch. "Yeah, sorry about that. Lorne insisted that I go to the infirmary. Don't worry, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about. I'm in perfect health, like I tried to tell Lorne."

She nodded her head and looked back down at her laptop screen. "Yes, I know. I got the report from Beckett a few minutes before you walked in. Is there anything going on? Anything you would like to talk about?"

He rolled his eyes and then looked into hers. "Elizabeth, I'm fine. I'm happy. Why does everyone seem to have a problem with that?"

She closed her laptop and gave him her full attention. "No one has a problem with that. It just seems like there's something more there than you just being happy. I rarely see you in a bad mood, but this is more than I think I've ever seen from you. I just want to make sure you're okay. I've heard cases where something traumatic happens to someone and they cope by being so in denial, they're overly happy." She took a breath before continuing. "I know your dad died recently…"

His head snapped in her direction. "You really think I'm in denial about my dad dying? That happened weeks ago, if not months. I've accepted the fact that he died. Hell, I accepted the fact that I may never see him again the day I walked out of his house over ten years ago. This has nothing to do with my dad."

Elizabeth nodded and frowned. "Then what does it have to do with? Because frankly I'm lost."

He shook his head and looked away. "I'm not in denial about anything. I promise you that."

"Then what?" She narrowed her eyes and looked at him very seriously. "You don't have another consciousness inside you or another being that's taken over your body and trying to make us all think you're the real John Sheppard?"

He just looked at her. "No. There's no other consciousness in my body. Damn it, I can't believe this." He stood up and started pacing the floor. Elizabeth stood up as well. "I can't be sure of that, now can I? How about I just put you in the brig for awhile until we figure this whole thing out."

He stopped and turned to face her. "You're kidding me, right? There's nothing wrong with me! Beckett even confirmed that. I'm the real John Sheppard, Elizabeth. You know that, I know you do. Why can't I be happy without someone thinking there's something wrong with me?"

She sighed and shook her head. "You're right. I'm sorry, John. But you know how things are in this galaxy. You can never be too careful." He nodded and looked away. "Mind if I at least take a jumper ride to clear my head?" She nodded and watched him walk out the door and up the stairs leading to the jumper bay.

SGA

About two hours later, John set the jumper back down in the jumper bay. He'd gone for a nice long ride to clear his head and get back into his good mood. What was so wrong with him being happy? No one seemed to get it.

He made his way to the mess hall. Lunch was in full swing and his stomach had been growling for the past half hour. He walked in and immediately spotted his team sitting at their usual table already eating. He got his food and made his way over to the table.

When he sat down, the table got silent. He looked at his team and they were purposely looking away from him. "Okay, what the hell is going on?" He could feel his good mood slipping away and fast. McKay looked up at him with worried eyes. "Nothing, nothing's wrong. Why would anything be wrong?" Ronon must have kicked him underneath the table because he shrieked in pain and grabbed for his leg. John looked around the table at his teammates. He couldn't believe this. Not a single one of them was meeting his eye or looking in his direction.

"Wow. You know when everyone else was treating me like a ticking time bomb, it didn't affect me all that much. But to have your own team not be able to look you in the eye. Yeah, that cuts deep." He stood up from the table and just walked away. He was about to explode, he could feel it.

He heard them getting up from the table and coming after him, but he just didn't care at the moment. He walked out of the mess hall and down one of the more unpopulated corridors, just in case it came to blows when they finally caught up with him.

"John, wait! Please!" Teyla finally caught up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He stopped and turned around. His team was standing there with worried expressions on their faces. He vaguely saw Nikki standing a little ways behind them. "Why? To give me that same look everyone else on this base has been giving me all day? You think I don't notice it? That everyone has been looking at me like I'm about to explode? Well, now I am."

"John, we are just worried about you." "Worried? About what? About me being happy for once? For me opening up a little and interacting with people? For me doing my job and getting some overdue paperwork done? Yeah, real cause for concern there."

McKay took a step towards him. "You know…we're here if you ever need to talk." He nodded his head. "Yeah, I can see that. Just like everyone else is, right? See that's not the first time I heard that today. Ever since this morning, people have been giving me weird looks, but I shrugged it off. Then Lorne drags me down to the infirmary so Beckett can check to make sure I'm okay. Beckett thought there was something mentally wrong with me. And then Elizabeth thought I was in denial about my dad dying. And then she thought I was possessed and almost had me dragged down to the brig, for crying out loud!"

He looked at all three of them, standing there watching him with concern. "So you know what I did? I took a jumper ride to clear my head. Forget about this morning and get back into a good mood. It worked. I was looking forward to lunch and hanging out with my team. With my friends. And then they wouldn't even look at me. How the hell am I supposed to react to that, hm?"

"Look, Shep, we didn't want to tick you off.." John laughed. "Yeah, well nice job with that. I'm happy. Today was supposed to be a really good day and it just turned to hell. I haven't been that happy since before my mom died. You guys are the closest thing I've had to family in a very long time. You know what's funny about that?" He looked from Teyla, to Ronon, and then to McKay. "My real family didn't want me to be happy either."

He turned and just walked away.


	6. Coma Dreams Are A Nightmare

Chapter 6

John found himself wandering the halls of Atlantis. He had just gotten into the biggest fight he'd had since the last time he had seen his dad. Or maybe since the fight that ended his marriage. Either way, it was bad.

The people he called family thought he was nuts. They thought something was wrong with him, that he was mentally unstable or that he'd been overtaken by some being.

Nothing made sense to him anymore. Why couldn't they just be happy for him? They had been the ones that pushed him to ask Nikki out and admit he liked her. They were the ones that had said they just wanted to see him happy.

Then why did they act as if there was something wrong with him when he finally was happy?

Unless…there really was something wrong with him. Maybe they were right. Maybe something was happening to him. Maybe he was losing his mind.

He didn't know what to do. He went back towards his quarters, but he saw Lorne standing outside his door waiting for him. He stopped and stood there looking at Lorne before he said anything.

"You know..I'm not crazy. There's nothing wrong with me."

Lorne turned around and just stared at him for a minute. "Yes there is. You're sick, John. You need to come with me."

He was about to respond, but then he paused. "You never call me John." He narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is going on?"

"John, you need to come with me. It's for your own good." He started backing away from Lorne. "Like hell it is, Major. You stay the hell away from me."

He turned around and ran. He couldn't let Lorne take him wherever the hell it was he wanted him to go.

He was running towards the control tower to warn Elizabeth. Teyla stepped out from behind a pillar, blocking his path. "John, you need to come with me. You're sick and I can help you."

He started backing away from her. "John, you can trust me. We're like family, remember?"

He ran down another corridor, this time trying to get to a transporter to get to the jumper bay. He reached the transporter and the doors opened. Ronon was standing there. He raised his gun and hired it. The last thing John remembered was seeing the smirk on Ronon's face before everything went black.

SGA

John opened his eyes. He was strapped down to a bed in the isolation room. He looked at the observation deck. Carson, Elizabeth, Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, and Lorne were all standing there looking down at him.

He tried to move his arms and legs, but they were strapped down pretty tightly. "What the hell is going on here? Who the hell are you?"

Elizabeth and Carson exchanged looks. He started talking to them, but John couldn't make out when he was saying. Then he left the observation deck.

A couple minutes later, the door opened and Beckett walked in. He walked over to the bed and started checking his vitals. "What the hell is going on here?"

Carson looked down at John. There was concern in his eyes. "John, you have a disease that's causing delirium. You've been slowly going insane now for the past twenty-four hours. We had to restrain you so you wouldn't hurt yourself or anyone else."

He shook his head. This can't be happening to him. He didn't feel insane. He just felt confused.

"No, I'm fine. Doc, you have to believe me. Nothing is wrong with me!"

Carson patted John's shoulder and then left the room.

John's vision was starting to get fuzzy around the edges. It didn't change much, but the edges stayed fuzzy.

He spent the next few hours yelling and pleading for them to just let him go. There was nothing wrong with him! Then he had an idea. He looked up at the deck and saw Teyla standing there.

"Where's Nikki? I need to talk to her."

She got a saddened look in her eye, but then came down into the room. She stood next to him and rested a hand on his forearm.

"John, Nikki was killed on an off-world mission a week ago. You know that."

He shook his head. "No, that's impossible. Three days ago we got locked in a room together and I asked her out on a date! You're telling me I imagined that?"

Teyla had tears in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. "John, listen to me. One week ago, you allowed her to go off-world with Major Lorne's team. They were attacked and Nikki was ambushed. She was killed instantly. They brought her body back and we had a memorial service yesterday. You gave the eulogy. You never asked her out, John. We told you to, but you never did."

He just kept shaking his head. No, this can't be happening. He remembered being locked in that room with her. He remembered opening up to her and kissing her. He had manned up like Ronon had told him to do and he had asked her to have dinner with her. They were having dinner tonight! No, this isn't happening. There had to be some kind of mistake.

The edges of his vision got a little fuzzier. "Teyla, listen to me. Something is really wrong here. I don't know what, but this can't be real…"

He stopped what he was saying. Something had occurred to him. "Wait, one week ago I wasn't even on Atlantis. Lorne didn't go off-world. He was in charge of the base. He wouldn't go on a mission when he was the one in charge of the base. We got back yesterday. Teyla…you were with me! So were Ronon, Elizabeth, Rodney, and Carson. Unless…you're not really Teyla."

Of course! He must be imagining this or there was something had happened to him and some alien was making him believe all of this was real. Hell, an alien had gotten into his head before and tried to make him believe what he was living was real when it was only a virtual reality. No, this was not real life. It couldn't be.

"Like I said John, you're not well. You're not thinking straight. You need to rest."

She started moving away from him. He watched as she left the room. What the hell was going on.

He vision was getting fuzzier and fuzzier until everything went black.

SGA

Nikki walked up to Carson. "Is he going to be alright, Dr.?" She turned and looked at John's still form laying on one of the infirmary beds.

"I think so. He did excellent in surgery, but he's not out of the woods just yet. There was a lot of swelling in his brain due to the head injury he sustained so I had to put him into a medically induced coma for now." She nodded and looked at his teammates who were spread around the infirmary. They had all insisted that they stay and wait for any news about the Colonel. None of them wanted to leave their friend in such a critical condition.

Elizabeth looked over at Carson. "I have a silly question. Can…can he dream while he's in there?" Carson looked over at his friend lying motionless on the bed.

"No one really knows for sure. Although, I have heard cases where someone who was taken out of a medically induced coma talked about things that happened to him while he was under. I suppose it may be true. The mind is such a mystery that it's almost impossible to know for sure. There is a chance that he is dreaming or having something similar to a dream. I've been slowly reducing the chemicals that are keeping him in the coma. He may wake up soon or in the next couple of days. You can ask him yourself then."

Elizabeth nodded and turned to Teyla.

She hadn't wanted to get the entire story from the team until they had all had a chance to recover. She couldn't wait until John came out of his coma, but the others had been released from the infirmary yesterday and were all back to keep an eye on their friend.

"Teyla, tell me what happened."

Teyla looked up at Dr. Weir and she sighed. "We went on an off-world mission the day after we arrived back on Atlantis, as you know…"

They stepped through the stargate and found themselves standing in the middle of a forest. There was a path leading to what looked from afar to be a small village. "Well, it doesn't look like it's too far away. Let's get walking. McKay, stay behind me. Teyla, Ronon, you take the six."

They nodded and walked in formation towards the village. It was only about a ten minute walk to the edge. They walked through finding no one around. "Teyla, you said you'd traded with these people before? Where are they?"

Teyla looked around. "I do not know, Colonel. Every time I have been here, this place has been busy and filled with people. I do not understand where everyone is. Unless they have been culled since then…"

"Well isn't that a pleasant thought." He scanned the area and turned to Rodney. "Are there any readings on the Life Signs Detector?"

Rodney pulled it out of his vest and tapped a couple buttons. "I'm reading about ten life signs..that way." He pointed north of their location. "Okay, let's go check it out. Maybe they know what happened here and can give us some answers. Same formation."

They walked for half an hour towards the readings where the life signs were. Rodney stopped. "They're right in front of…whoah. They're surround us. Colonel, I think this is a trap."

"Agreed. Keep your eyes open! We're going back to the gate." Before they could move, they were being fired at. They returned fire and ran in the opposite direction. They managed not to get hit, but they were being chased through the forest. John took the rear since all of them were behind them. Teyla took lead to get them back to the gate since she had a really good sense of direction.

They were almost back to the gate when they heard more gunshots and then John cry out in pain. He hit the ground and Ronon stopped and went back for him. He grabbed the loop on the back of his tact vest and starting firing towards the men chasing them, dragging Sheppard with him as he ran to catch up with Teyla and McKay.

Sheppard was hit one more time on the way back to the gate. McKay quickly dialed the gate, sent in his idc and they made it through. After the gate shut down, they realized that John was unconscious. Teyla felt for a pulse and found one, but it was weak and getting weaker.

That's when they noticed the head wound on the back of his head that was spreading blood on the floor. He also had a bullet wound on his chest and another on his leg. He was in really bad shape.

They vaguely heard someone call for a med team. They were too busy trying to stop the bleeding before he bled out. The others had minor injuries compared to Sheppard's.

Ronon had been shot in the side, Teyla had a graze mark on her neck along with a twisted ankle, and Rodney had been shot in the arm. They were all very lucky, except for Sheppard.

Teyla sighed when she finished her recollection of what had happened. She didn't want to think about it anymore. John had put himself in danger to watch their backs and it had almost gotten him killed.

He had been unconscious for three days now. They had all been in the infirmary with him until yesterday when they were all released.

Ronon stood up and kicked his chair. "This is wrong. It should be me laying there, not him. He was in the lead, but he switched places with Teyla to watch our backs and make sure we got through the gate. I should've been watching his."

Nikki sat down in one of the chairs and put her head in her hands. She had been sick with worry ever since she had watched them drag John through the gate. Instantly she knew something was seriously wrong.

Teyla looked up at Ronon. "Ronon, it is not your fault. He gave us orders and we followed them. He got us home and he is still alive. There is still hope."

"Aye, there is definitely hope." Carson walked over to the machines that were attached to John. They had started making noises. "He'll be waking up soon. I'd say there is more than hope."

SGA

John could hear people talking quietly around him. He pried open his eyes and saw that he was in the infirmary. His team was sitting in different spots near his bed on one side. Lorne and Elizabeth were talking to Carson on the other side of the infirmary and Nikki was sitting right next to the left side of his bed. She was resting her head on his arm he could feel her hand in his.

What the hell was going on? How many times do I have to say that in one day, he thought to himself.

One minute he was strapped down in the isolation room having people tell him that he was sick and that Nikki was dead. And now he was laying in the infirmary surrounded by everyone he cared for and Nikki was very much alive. He was definitely missing something.

Everyone was asleep except Lorne, Elizabeth and Beckett. He looked over at them.

"What the hell is going on?" They turned and looked at him. Carson walked over to the right side of the bed and checked his vitals. He looked down at John and smiled. "How are you feeling, Colonel?"

"Very confused." Carson raised an eyebrow at him. "What's the last thing you remember?"

John thought for a moment. Was he really going crazy? "Well, I was being chased through Atlantis because everyone thought I was going nuts. Then I was strapped in the isolation room. You told me I had some disease that was causing me to go crazy and then Teyla told me Nikki was dead. Which didn't make any sense. My vision kept getting fuzzy and then it went black. Then I woke up here. So what the hell is going on?"

Elizabeth looked at Carson. "It looks like your hunch was right. That must have been some kind of dream he was having."

John sat up slightly, careful not to move the arm that Nikki was resting on. "Wait a minute. You're telling me all of that was just a dream?"

"Aye, I guess it was because that's not what happened to you. You're saying you don't remember the mission you went on with your team?"

He looked over at this team and noticed for the first time that Teyla had a bandage on the side of her neck and her ankle was wrapped and Rodney had his arm in a sling. He turned and looked back at Beckett.

"What mission? The last normal thing I remember was yesterday when Nikki and I got locked in a room together because of a power failure."

Lorne stepped to the end of the bed. "Sir, what else happened that day?"

He looked at his second in command. "That's the day we got back from Earth. I took a jumper ride with Nikki to test out the recently repaired jumper. Then we went to the mess hall and had lunch. Rodney recruited us both to go fix a power failure and it ended up locking us in there for awhile. And then…everyone started acting weird the next day."

"Sir, that wasn't yesterday. That was four days ago."

Elizabeth looked at John. "John, you went on an off-world mission with your team the day after we got back from Earth. You went to a village that had been deserted, but Rodney picked up life signs north of your location, so you went to check it out. You were attacked and tried to make it back to the gate. You had Teyla switch positions with you and you took up the rear. You were shot in the leg and fell. You hit your head on something which knocked you out. Ronon dragged you back to the gate, but not before you were shot again in the chest. They managed to get back, but you lost a lot of blood. Dr. Beckett had to put you in a medically induced coma because of the swelling in your brain. You've been unconscious for three days. Your team was released from the infirmary yesterday, but you know them. They didn't want to leave your side. And neither did Nikki."

He took a couple of minutes to wrap his mind around everything. So he really had been imagining everything that had happened to him. Nikki wasn't dead, he wasn't strapped to a bed, and his friends hadn't turned on him. Wow.

He turned and looked at all of his friends sleeping around him. He had been living in hell in his mind for the past twenty-four hours, but they had been by his side for three days worrying about him.

He turned and looked at Carson. "So, I dreamed all of that up? None of that was real?"

"Aye. It was your brain's way of remaining active while in a coma."

John snorted and rolled his eyes. "Some way of remaining active. More like creating it's very own version of hell."

Lorne chuckled, "It's good to have you back, sir." John met Evan's eyes. "It's good to be back. It's definitely better than what I thought was real not that long ago." Lorne chuckled again before dismissing himself saying he had some paperwork to catch up on. John almost laughed at that.

Everything was fine. His friends, his…family, were all around him waiting to hear some good news about him. He wasn't going insane and the women he finally had gotten up the nerve to ask on a date wasn't dead.

Everything was back to normal. Well, as normal as it gets in the Pegasus galaxy.


	7. First Dates

Chapter 7

About five days after John Sheppard was released from the infirmary, he was finally put back on active duty. He and Nikki had decided to wait to have their date until he was back to a hundred percent.

The entire time he was recovering, he had been trying to figure out some way to make it up to Nikki for missing their first date by being put in a coma and making her worry non-stop for three days. Some impression he made.

For the past couple of days, he had been fidgety and kind of distracted. Teyla had been the only one to really notice it at first until she mentioned it to the rest of the team.

They were sitting at lunch the day John was put back on active duty. McKay had been rambling on and on about some kind of new discover he had made. John was tuning him out, trying to figure out what he can do for their date that was tonight.

"Are you even listening to me? Sheppard. Sheppard. Colonel!" John snapped out of it and turned to look at Rodney. His whole team was watching him. "What? Did you say something?"

Rodney raised his eyebrows and got a worried expression on his face. "What is up with you?"

He shook his head. "What do you mean? I'm fine."

Teyla rested her hand on John's forearm. "John, you have not been yourself lately. You have been…distracted. Is there something wrong?"

John looked down at his food. "Yeah. I've been trying to come up with some way to make it up to Nikki for, you know, missing our first date because I was in a coma. Tonight is our second attempt at a date. And I have no idea what to do."

He looked up at Teyla and sighed. She smiled, "I would be more than happy to help you plan, if you wish, John."

Ronon nodded, "Yeah, me too." Ronon looked at McKay, who just sat there staring at the group. He kicked Rodney. "Ow! Okay! Me too. Although I don't know how much help I'll be." Ronon rolled his eyes and continued eating.

"Thanks guys. So. Any ideas?" John looked back at Teyla and then at Ronon.

They spent the next two and a half hours trading ideas back and forth before John was finally satisfied with that they had come up with. He thanked his friends and then took off out of the mess hall to go get things ready. He only had three and a half hours before he had to be at her door.

He went straight for Elizabeth's office to get started.

SGA

Three and a half hours later, he was standing outside of Nikki's quarters. He was wearing black dress pants, a white button down shirt with the first couple of buttons undone, and a black jacket. He wanted to look his best for the date, but he didn't want to be too dressed up. That just wasn't like him.

He straightened his jacket and ran a hand through his messy hair. He let out a nervous shaky breath and waved his hand over the door sensor.

He took a deep breath to calm himself. McKay always called him Kirk for being the never-failing ladies man, but he really wasn't. Sure, he knew how to throw his smile in their direction and catch his eye, but when it came to actually dating, it made him more nervous than walking right onto a battlefield, guns blazing.

What if he said the wrong thing? What if he made a move and she didn't want him to? What if he made the wrong move? What if he didn't make a move when she wanted him to? Tons of what if questions were swirling around his mind never ending. The first date was always the worst for him.

The door opened and Nikki was standing there looking as beautiful as ever. She had her hair down and slightly curled at the ends. She was wearing a blue and white sundress.

"Wow. You look absolutely amazing." She smiled, "You don't look too bad yourself there, handsome." He smiled and held out his elbow for her.

She put her arm through his and he led her through the halls towards the jumper bay. "So, where are you going?"

He looked down at her and smiled. "You'll have to wait and find out when we get there." She rolled her eyes but followed him. They walked into the jumper bay and she narrowed her eyes at him. She was starting to get suspicious. He looked down at her again. "Just trust me, okay?" She nodded as he led her into the back of one of the jumpers. He sat down in the pilot's chair and radioed the control room. "Control room, this is Sheppard. I'm taking jumper one out for awhile. We'll be back in a little while."

"Copy that, sir. We'll leave the porch light on." "Good. See you in awhile. Sheppard out."

Nikki sat down in the co-pilot's chair and just watching Sheppard work the controls. "You really are a mystery, you know that, John?" He smirked and nodded. "That's not the first time someone's told me that. Might want to get comfortable. It's about a half hour ride to where we're going."

She rolled her eyes again and sat back in the chair. They made small talk during the flight. And then suddenly, Sheppard started dropping lower, but there wasn't land for miles still. She watched as he maneuvered the jumper closer and closer to the water. "Um, John, what are you doing?" "Just watch and see. You'll love it."

He dipped the jumper down into the water and continued forward for a couple more minutes. Where was he taking her?

That's when she looked up and saw a big coral reef looming up ahead. When they reached it, he dropped the jumper down onto the bed of ocean they were at. He turned and looked at her reaction. She was gazing admiringly up at the beautiful site. There was tons of different colored coral everywhere, along with what seemed to be thousands of pretty colored fish swimming here and there. Some had been startled by the jumper, but they seemed to be fine now.

"John…this…this is beautiful. How did you find this place?" He smiled and stood up. He moved to the back of the jumper and retrieved a basket and a blanket. He moved back into the cock pit and then closed the doors to the rear compartment. He spread the blanket down on the floor against the door and set the blanket down on top of it.

John walked over to Nikki and held out his hand. "Would you like to join me and enjoy the view while we eat?" She looked up at him with the biggest smile on her face. She took his hand and followed him over to the doors. They sat down on the blanket and he unloaded the basket.

He had brought turkey sandwiches, some grapes, slices of apple, and some wine. "Care for some wine?"

Her smile got brighter. "Please." He dug out two wine glasses and poured both of them a glass of wine before distributing the food. "Hm. Turkey sandwiches, fruit, and wine…" He grimaced and set down the bottle. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'm not that great of a cook, so I had to bribe the kitchen staff."

She placed a hand on his. "You didn't let me finish." He looked up at her with a question in his eyes. "With a breathtaking view. I love it." His smile was almost as bright as hers. He looked over at the coral. "Yeah, it sure is a nice sight."

"I wasn't only talking about the coral." He turned and looked at her. She was staring at him intently. "Neither was I." They both blushed a little and took a sip of wine.

They ate their meal and finished their first glasses of wine. He poured them another glass each and set the bottle off to the side. They were already halfway through the bottle.

He put all the leftovers into the basket and set the basket on one of the seats sitting next by. He made a snap decision and wrapped his right arm around Nikki's waist and pulled her over to him. She gasped a little at first, but then snuggled into his side to get comfortable as they stared up at the view.

"So tell me, John, why did you go to all of this trouble? I would have been satisfied with sitting on one of the balconies in Atlantis."

He looked down at her with a smile in his eyes. "I wanted to make it up to you for missing our first date. You know, with being in a coma and everything. And making you worry for three days. Didn't really seem fair to me so I thought I'd do something special."

She looked up at him with such a warm, beautiful smile. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No? Well, I need to change that now, don't I?" His smile stretched onto his face, "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life." She blushed a little at his words. He leaned down and placed his lips on hers. She kissed him back and carefully set her glass down to the side and he did the same. She placed her hand on his chest and then ran it up to wrap around his neck. He cupped her face with his left hand and then slowly slid his hand down her neck, down her arm, and then rested it on her waist.

They took it slow at first, adjusting to their position, their surroundings, the new sensations they were experiencing. Then she inched closer and managed to wrap both arms around his neck instead of just the one. He raised his over hand to rest on her back as he brought her closer to him.

As things started to heat up a little, the lights suddenly turned off. They didn't even seem to notice. They kept getting closer until they were pressed up against each other. John slowly slid them down to lay on the floor.

He wasn't going to take things too far tonight. It was only their first date, after all. They laid on the floor in each other's arms as they kissed each other passionately. She rolled on top of him and he let her. She kept running her hands up and down his chest. He kept rubbing circles into her back to keep his hands from roaming too far.

She pulled away to catch her breath. She looked down at him and they stared into each other's eyes. "Well, I can honestly say that this is the best date I've ever been on. Not to mention the first time I've ever been on a date with someone with such high standing in the military. I didn't think you were allowed to go on dates with someone under your command."

He smiled and nipped her lips once before responding. "Only if they're in the military or on my team. You're neither, so it's not against the rules." "Ah, I see. Well, that's too bad. I like being a rebel."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled. He kept nipping at her lips, but it wasn't getting him anywhere. She kept teasing him. He pushed his head up and brought his lips to her neck. He kissed up and down her neck, making her lean into him more. He kissed his way up her jawline and then traced her lips with his before finally letting them rest on hers.

Her teeth grazed his lips and his lips parted. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth and started exploring. He let her explore for a while before he started using his tongue to battle for dominance. He slid hers out of his mouth and then his tongue into hers. They kept going back and forth for a good fifteen minutes before they pulled apart to catch their breath again.

He looked up at her with a lopsided grin on his face. "How the hell did I manage to get a date you with?" She laughed and shook her head. "You know, I was just asking myself that very same question."

He rolled his eyes and then glanced at his watch. They had been gone for hours already. It was probably time they start heading back since they had a half hour ride home. Especially since he had to get up real early for a mission the next morning.

"As much as I would love to stay here for a while longer, we should probably start heading back."

She took his wrist and looked at her watch. She sighed and nodded. "You're right. We both have to get up super early tomorrow." They sat up from their position, but she didn't move off of him quite yet. She was straddling his thighs while he sat there with his hands rested on her legs. He reached up and pecked her lips one more time.

He looked around and noticed that during their little make-out session, they had knocked over his glass of wine. "Uh oh…McKay is going to be pissed at me." She chuckled and reached for her own glass. She downed most of the glass with one drink and then offered the rest to him. He smirked, downed the rest of hers, reached for the bottle, and took a big swig.

She rolled her eyes. "Show off." He laughed wholeheartedly, took another drink, and then recorked the bottle. She stood up and moved to help him clean up the mess. He placed the glassed in the basket while she folded up the blanket and then laid it on top of the basket. He didn't have anything to clean up the spilled wine with, so he would have to come back and do that after they had gotten back to Atlantis.

They made the trip back home. This time it wasn't that silent. They were laughing and telling more stories the entire way there. Not that the alcohol had anything to do with it…

When they got back to Atlantis, he opened the rear compartment doors and then the rear hatch. He grabbed the basket in one hand and then entwined his fingers on his other hand with Nikki's.

Halfway back to her quarters, she had reached inside and grabbed the wine bottle. They finished it off before they reached her door. They were both laughing and had huge smiles on their faces. He set the basket down on the floor, wrapped his arms around Nikki, pulled her into him, and their lips met moments later. They stayed like that for a few minutes, neither wanting to break away.

Finally, John pulled back and stared down at her admiringly. "Good night, Nikki." She smiled up at him and then pecked his lips one last time. "Good night, John."

She walked into her room and he watched as the doors closed behind her. He picked up the basket and made his way to the mess hall with the hugest smile on his face.

He walked in and found one table occupied. He hadn't thought anyone would be in there since it was nearly one in the morning. He set the basket inside the door to the kitchen and made his way over to the table where his team sat. He sat down and they looked up at him. Ronon got a huge grin on his face at the sight of Sheppard swaying slightly and a huge grin plastered to his face, his eyes a little glassy.

"So, how'd the date go?" Sheppard's grin got even wider as he sat back in the chair and got comfortable. "Oh you know, it went well." Ronon snorted and leaned towards him. "Shep, you reak. Have you been drinking?"

He hadn't told them that he had already planned on taking wine with him. He hadn't thought that was a necessary detail. "Just wine." Teyla laughed at the sight of her friend. "How much did you drink?"

He looked like he was concentrating on someone. "Um..the whole bottle, I believe."

McKay snorted. "You do realize we're going on a mission first thing in the morning, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But I had fun. Well, I had more than fun. But you don't need to know that."

Ronon's smile got even bigger. "So, what did you two lovebirds do?" John rolled his eyes, but then launched into his recounting of their date. Leaving out how passionately they had made-out though. He wanted to leave some details to the imagination. He practically sprang up from his chair right as he was done with his story and swayed a little when he got to his feet.

Teyla reached out a hand to steady him, but he brushed it off saying he was fine. "I will see you all at 0500 hours. Don't be late!"

As he staggered his way to the door, he heard Ronon yell out, "Yeah, don't be late, Shep!"

He smirked and made his way to his quarters. He opened the door and went straight to his bed. He stopped to take off his jacket, but then face-planted the mattress. He was out before his face hit the pillow.

SGA

0445 hours the next morning, he awoke to the sound of his alarm going off. He looked at the clock and his eyes widened. He was supposed to be in the gate room in fifteen minutes. He got up as quickly as he could, changed, got his boots on, grabbed his side arm, and practically ran out the door, no time for a shower. He booked it down to the locker room to get ready. He had a whole one minute to get to the gate room on time. He put on his tact vest, clipped on his p90, grabbed on extra clip just in case and tucked it into his vest, grabbed his shades out of his locker, grabbed a radio, and ran out of the locker room. He made it to the gate room five minutes late.

His team, as well as Lorne's team, and an extra science team that included Nikki, were all set to go. He walked up the stairs and stood next to Ronon. "And you were the one who told us not to be late." "Oh shut it." Ronon smiled and slapped his hand on his friend's back. It was obvious Sheppard was hungover from the night before.

Lorne walked over to him and dropped his voice. "Are you okay, sir? You don't look too good."

John smirked and checked his p90 to make sure it was in working order. "I'm fine, Major, just had an…interesting night last night." He couldn't stop as his eyes flicked over and made contact with Nikki's. She smiled in his direction. "Ah, I got it, sir. No worries." He looked back at Lorne as he smiled and moved away. Nikki walked up beside him and dropped her voice as well.

"Man, you look as bad as I feel. It probably wasn't the smartest to top off that bottle last night."

He laughed and turned to look at her. "No, but it was fun. Just wait until next time."

He winked and her smile grew. "Oh, I can't wait." "Good. It'll be even better."

They entwined their fingers for a minute, relishing in the feel of the other's touch before letting go. John signaled to Chuck they were all set.

He so couldn't wait until their next date. It was going to be a blast.


	8. Back to Earth

Chapter 8

Things were going smoothly on Atlantis. There was only the occasional kidnapping or Wraith attack. Jennifer was back from making her rounds on different planets, trying to help those who had come into contact with the Hoffan drug. Her and Rodney's relationship was in full swing.

Ronon and Amelia had recently announced their newfound relationship. Teyla had finally confessed to John of her new relationship with Kanaan, an Athosian who was on New Athos. She had recently found out she was pregnant with his child and that he was coming to live on Atlantis with her.

John and Nikki hadn't made their relationship 'official' yet, but they had gone on several dates. Rodney kept whining that that had meant that they were official, but John would just roll his eyes and change the subject. Usually after telling him to shut it or he wouldn't be getting any flying time. That usually worked.

John had big plans for tonight. He and Nikki were only going to be watching a movie, but tonight was the night he was going to make it official. He wanted her in his life and he had a feeling she wanted the same thing.

His radio crackled, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Weir to Sheppard. Come in." He reached up and hit his com. "Sheppard here." His teammates, Nikki, and Alex looked up from their conversation at his sudden words. They were all sitting around a table in the mess hall. "I just talked to General O'Neill during the weekly dial-in with Earth. Pack your bags. You leave for Earth in one hour."

He sat up straight. "Why? Did something happen? It's not…" His mind instantly flew to his brother, Dave. "It's your brother, John. All I was told was that he was in some kind of accident and that you were needed immediately. Will anyone be accompanying you?"

His face paled slightly at the thought of his brother being hurt or possibly dying. "Um…I don't know. I'll get back to you. Sheppard out."

He stood up and moved towards the door, not even hearing his friends calling his name.

Nikki jumped up and ran after him. She managed to catch up to him and stop him before he left the mess hall. She stood in front of him blocking his path. "John, what's wrong? What happened?"

He looked up at her with worry very clear in his eyes. "I'm being sent back to Earth. There was some kind of accident…" He shook his head slightly. "It's my brother…"

Her mouth opened and her eyes widened a little. She pulled him into a hug and whispered in his ear, "I'm so sorry. I'll go with you if you want me to." All he could do was nod his head and then moved to leave the mess hall.

Before she left to pack, she returned to the table to let their friends know what was going on. "John's being sent back to Earth. There some was kind of accident involving his brother. That's all I know, but I'm going with him."

They nodded and Ronon spoke up before she walked away. "Nikki, make sure he's okay."

She nodded. "I will."

SGA

One hour later, John and Nikki were standing in the gate room waiting for the gate to be dialed. Elizabeth joined them and stepped in front of John. "Don't worry about Atlantis. We'll take good care of her while you're gone. Just take care of what you need to take care of, okay?" He nodded. He didn't want to risk talking and his voice coming out rough.

She turned and looked at Nikki. "Take care of him for us. We need our Colonel back in one piece."

Nikki nodded and gave a small smile before taking John's hand and squeezing it. He looked down at her and tried to return the smile, but failed. He was too worried about the lack of details to do much.

She squeezed his hand once more before letting go when the gate started to dial. John looked up at the balcony and saw his team standing there. Rodney gave a small wave, Ronon nodded, and Teyla gave him a small, encouraging smile. He nodded his thanks to all of them and then stepped through the gate with Nikki by his side.

They stepped through and found General O'Neill waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. "Colonel." He nodded to John. John nodded back. "General." Jack turned to Nikki. "Well, I don't believe we've met. I'm General Jack O'Neill." He extended his hand towards her when they reached the bottom of the ramp.

She shook his hand. "Dr. Nikki Teagan." "Oh, a Dr., huh? Lord knows this one here needs one plenty." He tried lightening the mood, but it failed. "Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Anyways, I wish I could give you more details about your brother, Sheppard. I would if I had any. All I know is that he's at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward, CA. I already have a car waiting up top to take you to your hotel and then to the hospital. They have cell phones for both of you." John turned to Jack. "Thank you, sir." "It's not a problem. Just go make sure your brother's okay. Don't worry about anything. Anyone has a problem with either of you being back, I'll deal with it. If either of you need anything, my number has been programmed into both phones." They nodded as they walked through the SGC. Cameron Mitchell walked around the corner and almost walked right into Sheppard.

"Whoah! Sorry about that, Sheppard. I didn't know you were back." From the look on his face, it wasn't under good circumstances. John nodded and glanced over at Nikki.

"Mitchell, this is…um. Dr. Nikki Teagan from Atlantis." He reached up to shake her hand, but hesitated slightly at Sheppard's own hesitation. Was there something going on between them?

Nikki reached up and shook the man's hand. "Nikki, this is Colonel Cameron Mitchell." She gave him a small smile. "It's nice to meet you." He smiled as well. "Likewise."

Sheppard frowned and turned to look at Jack. Jack caught on to his discomfort. "Well, we need to get you two to the surface. The car's waiting." As the started forward, John glanced over his shoulder. "See you around, Mitchell." He nodded. "Yeah, maybe I'll see you when you head back. See ya!"

They made their way to the surface and John realized Jack hadn't gotten them a car. He had gotten them a short limo. He rolled his eyes, but turned and shook the man's hand before climbing into the car after Nikki.

As soon as the door was closed, she slid closer to him, entwined her fingers with his, and then rested her head on his shoulder. She was trying to give him as much comfort without saying anything. That's how Sheppard liked it. He was a man who preferred more action than words.

They stayed silent the entire ride to their hotel. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder, so it hadn't been hard to avoid any kind of conversation. Sleep was impossible for him. He was far too worried to get any sleep.

They got to the hotel and checked in. John figured Jack had gotten them two separate rooms, but apparently there had been a mistake and the rooms that had been reserved for them had been booked and were being used, not that John really cared. It just meant that they had an excuse to get one room with one bed.

They walked up to their room and set down their bags. John sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. Nikki sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist. He leaned towards her and rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm just warning you, my family is nuts. Just be grateful…Just be grateful my dad isn't here."

She rubbed his back trying to ease some of his tension. "Don't worry about me. I'm tough. I can handle anything, remember?" He smirked and then sat up. He turned to look at her. "Thanks for coming with me. You didn't have to."

She moved a piece of his hair that had fallen into his eyes. "I know, but I wanted to. That's what…that's what I'm for, right?" She smiled and tried to hide her hesitation at what they were. Truth is, she had no idea what they were. They had gone on several dates, but were they girlfriend/boyfriend? Were they friends with benefits? What?

He looked down at his hands. "I was going to wait to talk to you about this tonight during movie night, but since that's not happening anymore…and I could use a distraction…"

Nikki's eyebrow raised. "John, what are you talking about?"

He looked back up at her. "I'm guessing you noticed my hesitation earlier today at the SGC when I introduced you to Mitchell?" She nodded and let him continue. "I know we've gone on quite a few dates." He looked down at his hands. Silent for a moment, not sure where to go from here exactly. "Nikki, I want to be with you." He looked up at her and into her eyes. "I don't want to say, 'Hey, this is my friend, Nikki.' I don't want us to just be friends." She smiled and inched a little closer to him. He took that as a good sign.

"So, this is me asking if we can make it official and you be my girlfriend." A smile erupted on her face and her lips met his. His arms went around her and she pushed him down onto the bed. They had a couple of hours before they were able to go see Dave in the hospital, so they decided to use their time wisely.

John pulled back and looked up at her. "There's something else I have to say now or I might not say it." That worried her. He was so serious about it.

"Nikki…you mean a lot to me. You mean more to me than anyone has in a long time. I guess what I'm trying to say is…I love you, Nikki." Her mouth dropped open. That's not what she was expecting. At all. After a second, she recovered and her face shone with her happiness.

She leaned down closer to his face. "I love you too, John Sheppard." His smile was genuine for the first time in hours that day. She was the source of his happiness in all of his pain and worrying. That gave her a very comforting thought.

He pulled her head down and their lips met again. Soon the kiss turned quite passionate and her hands started to roam. He rolled them over so that he was on top. Her hands slipped under his button-down shirt that was untucked like he always wore it.

Her hands started to move upwards, taking his shirt with them. He smiled through their kiss. He pulled back and looked at her. "Need any help there?" He had a mischievous look on his face.

She giggled and nodded. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off. Nikki sat up and pulled her shirt off as well. She pulled him back down on top of her and found his lips. They explored each other's upper bodies with their hands for a few minutes. Then John started trailing kisses down her neck. He found her sensitive spot and stopped when she moaned slightly. He teased her there with his tongue and then continued trailing his kissed down. He made a trail all the way down to her belly button before he stopped and moved back up to her lips. Her hands reached lower and started to undo his pants. He kicked off his boots and then followed her lead by undoing hers as all.

He pulled them into a sitting position and she starting sliding down his pants. Soon he was only in his boxers. She rolled them over so she was on top. He slid hers down as well, leaving her in only her bra and panties.

They continued undressing each other until there was nothing left. Nikki pushed John back on so he was laying on his back. She straddled his hips, leaned forward, and found his lips. She made a trail of her own going down his neck, down his chest, and then stopped right before she got lower. She looked up at him with a sassy look in her eyes.

He smiled and rubbed his hand up one of her arms. She took that as a good sign and then moved lower. For a couple of minutes, all she did was tease him. He groaned. "You are such a tease…" She smirked and then gave him what he wanted. She brought him right to the edge of his orgasm and then brought him right back before he peaked. He looked down at her again. "That is so not fair."

She laughed and moved forward to join her lips with his. He wrapped his arms around her back and twisted, making them roll so she was on her back.

He made another trail down to her bellybutton, smirked, and then continued lower. He did the same thing she did. He teased for a while until she couldn't take it anymore and finally gave her what she wanted. If her moans of pleasure were anything to go by, he was doing pretty good.

And then right before she peaked, he brought her back down just as she had done. He made a trail going back up to her neck and started sucking on her sensitive spot, making her moan again. "John, you are so evil." He chuckled against her neck and moved his lips to hers.

After a minute of passionate kissing, he positioned himself above her, silently asking for permission. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he took that as a yes.

They made love to each other quite passionately. It was their first time and John wanted to take it slow and easy for a while and enjoy it. Until Nikki kicked things up a notch and it got intense.

A while later, John rolled off of her and pulled her into his side. She curled next to him rested her head on his shoulder. With her free hand she played with his chest hair.

She looked up at the man who had stolen her heart. "I love you, Colonel John Sheppard."

He looked down at her and smiled. "I love you too, Dr. Nikki Teagan." They just laid there for a while enjoying the feel of the other lying next to them.

After a while, John looked at the clock and almost groaned. It was time to get back to reality. The car would be there in ten minutes to pick them up. He sat up and started getting dressed. Nikki looked over at the clock and understood why. She moved to get her own clothes as well.

They got dressed and then made their way down to the lobby to wait for their car. John had his arm around her shoulders and she had her arm around his waist. They saw their car pull up and made their way outside.

SGA

John walked into the hospital with Nikki right behind him. He made his way to the receptionist's desk and asked where his brother was. Nikki stayed a couple feet behind him, giving him space. She took in her surroundings and noticed a dark-haired woman look up at the sound of John's voice and then make her way over to them.

Nikki watched as she walked right up to John. He turned to look at who had walked up to him and she saw the look of surprise on his face. And then something else flashed in his eyes.

"Nancy. What are you doing here?" "I could say the same about you, John."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm here for my brother." She smirked and shook her head. "That's a first. So am I, actually. I was waiting for Becca, his wife, to come down."

"I know who his wife is, thank you very much. You're not in this family anymore, Nancy. So why are you really here?"

Nikki could feel the tension rippling through the air. "Like I said, I'm here to see Dave. I never thought you'd show."

He ground his teeth together, but turned and looked at Nikki. She stepped to his side. "Come on, we need to get up there." Nancy grabbed his arm before he could leave.

"Wait, who is your little friend here?"

They turned back to her, but before he could say anything she jumped into the conversation. "I'm Dr. Nikki Teagan. And you are…?" Nancy smirked and sized Nikki up. "I'm his ex-wife, Nancy." Nikki smiled and slightly narrowed her eyes. "Well, it was nice meeting you." Nikki turned away, but Nancy stopped them again. "So, is she your little charity case or just your bedroom buddy?"

John's fists clenched. "She's my girlfriend, Nancy. Now what's it to you?"

Nancy smiled and looked at Nikki. "So what's it like spending countless nights alone never knowing where he is. Or when he is home he can't talk about it so his entire life is one big secret. And what about all his mistakes? What's that like?"

Nikki was really getting pissed. "We don't spend countless nights alone. Those nights are few and far between. We spend a lot of time together. As for his secrets? He doesn't have to keep very many. You see, I'm one of the head scientists on the base where he's the commanding military officer, so we get to go on a lot of missions together. And mistakes? Honey, that's where you're wrong. This man saves lives every day while you're probably sitting on your ass getting a fake tan and mani pedi and drinking some fruity little girl drink. You obviously don't know this man as well as you thought you did." She smiled her sweetest smile, "It was nice meeting you. Have a nice day!" And then turned around and walked away leaving Nancy standing there wide-eyed with her mouth hanging open and sputtering.

John caught up to her and looked down at her with the biggest smile on his face. "Have I told you I love you lately?" She smiled up at him. "I told you I'm tough and can handle anything."

His smile got wider and he reached down and entwined his fingers with hers. And that is why he loved her so much.

They walked up to the level his brother was on and quickly found the right room. He paused at the entrance and looked in at his brother lying motionless and hooked up to machines. He wasn't even breathing on his own. There was a tube running down his throat. He'd never seen his brother look so…vulnerable.

Becca looked up at the doorway and saw John standing there. She stood up and made her way over to him. "John, it's good to see you." She pulled him into a hug and he hugged her back. "Becca, what happened? All I was told was there was some accident."

Her eyes were sad, her shoulders drooping a little, and he could tell she hadn't slept much. She motioned into the room and he walked in with Nikki right behind him.

They walked to the other side of the room. John and Nikki sat down on the little couch and Becca pulled up the chair. "Aren't you going to introduce us, John?" She gave a small smile.

John looked up, "Oh, right, sorry. Becca, this is my girlfriend, Dr. Nikki Teagan. She's a scientist on the base where I'm stationed." Nikki reached out her hand towards Becca. "Nikki, this is my sister-in-law, Becca Sheppard." Nikki gave her a small smile as they shook hands. "It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances though."

Becca nodded and looked over at her husband lying motionless on the bed. She turned back to John. "The other morning he left for work like usual. Everything was normal. He left at the same time he does every morning. After he left, I took the kids to school, picked up some grocery's and by the time I got home, there was a message on the answering machine. It was from the hospital telling me that my husband was in an accident and to call them back. So, I did. They told me he had been driving down the interstate when a semi lost control. Dave was between the semi and the railing. He got smashed between. The car was totaled and Dave had to have immediate surgery. They said during the surgery, he slipped into a coma. They have no idea if he'll ever wake up." She tried to stop a small sob from escaping and failed. She put her head in her hands and cried silently. John got up, knelt in front of her and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed circles into her back, trying to calm her. When she stopped crying, he pulled back slightly.

"Who's the doctor taking care of him?" She wracked her brain for a minute before looking up at him. "Dr. Heath." John nodded and stood up. He turned to look at Nikki and she nodded.

He left the room and walked over to the nurse's station. A nurse looked up as he approached. "Yes? Can I help you?"

"Yes, is there a Dr. Heath here?" She looked down at her charts and nodded. "He should be coming back from supper any time now. What is it regarding?"

He looked down at his watch for a second and then back up at her. "I need to speak with him about my brother, Dave Sheppard." She nodded and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper. "Okay, and what's your name?" "John Sheppard."

She scribbled down his name and Dave's room number on the piece of paper and looked back up at him. "Okay, I'll let him know when he comes up to go talk to you." He smiled. "Thanks." She nodded and watched him walk back into the room he had walked out of. Another nurse walked over to her. "Man, he was cute. You should get his number." She rolled her eyes and looked down on the piece of paper. "His brother is in bad shape. I highly doubt he'll be in the mood to give out his number to a random nurse."

The woman rolled her eyes as well. "Exactly. He's vulnerable. Take advantage of it. You never know, you may just have some fun." She winked at the first nurse and walked away. She shook her head and looked up when the elevator doors opened and Dr. Heath walked out.

She handed him the piece of paper and told him that Dave Sheppard's brother was here and had asked to speak with him. He nodded and moved towards Dave's room. He stuck his head in and took in the newcomers. The man practically shouted military, except for his hair. Maybe ex-military? "Are you John Sheppard?" John's head snapped up. He stood up and moved towards the door.

They exited the room and moved to the man's office to have a more private discussion. Dr. Heath closed the door and turned to John. He stuck his hand out towards him and John shook it. "I'm John Sheppard. Dave's brother. I got here as soon as I could." Dr. Heath nodded and sat down behind his desk, gesturing for John to sit as well.

"Dave suffered a massive blow to the head. Right now we're not sure if it's caused brain damage or not. It's hard to tell since he's in a coma. We're not even sure if he'll ever wake up. There's nothing I can do for him besides keeping a breathing tube in his throat and giving him fluids. It's all up to him." John nodded and looked down at his hands. That's when he had an idea. He looked back up at Dr. Heath. "Thank you. I need to be getting back to my family now." He nodded and watched as John left the office, closing the door behind him.

John walked to the waiting area and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Jack's number and hoped he could pull this one off. It was to save his brother's life, afterall.


	9. Oh, Nancy!

Chapter 9

Jack snapped the phone shut. It looked like he had a few calls to make. He moved through the SGC and into General Landry's office and closed the door. Hank looked up. "Hank. I need a favor."

A little while later, Jack left his office and made his way to the control room. When he walked in, he looked at Sam Carter sitting in front of one of the computers. "Sam, dial Atlantis."

She turned and looked at him. She saw the seriousness in his eyes and wondered what was going on. She nodded and dialed Atlantis.

On the other side of the wormhole, Chuck was yelling for Dr. Weird. "Unscheduled gate activation!" Elizabeth walked into the control room from her office. "It's the SGC, ma'am." She nodded. "Open a channel."

He nodded and pointed to her when the line was open. "This is Dr. Weir." General O'Neill's voice came over the radio. "General Jack O'Neill here. I need to speak with Drs. Carson Beckett and Jennifer Keller." Elizabeth turned around and nodded to Chuck to have them come to the control room immediately. He nodded and informed them. "They're on their way. Is something wrong, General?"

He sighed. "Actually, yes. That's why I need to speak with the Drs." She nodded and turned to see them walk into the room. "Here they are."

Carson walked over to the control panel with Jennifer and Rodney right behind him. "This is Dr. Beckett. What can I do for you, General?"

"I called to inform you and Dr. Keller need to come through the wormhole. Immediately. You'll only be gone for a few hours." Jennifer and Carson exchanged looks. She stepped up next to Carson and spoke up. "If you don't mind me asking, sir, but why are we going back to Earth?"

There was a pause before he answered. "You will be accompanying me to St. Rose Hospital where a man named Dave Sheppard is being treated. I'll do the business talk while you do the medical talk. We'll be taking him with us and returning to Atlantis with Colonel Sheppard Dr. Teagan."

They all looked at each other. Rodney looked up. "That's Sheppard's brother." Jack's voice came over the radio again. "Is that McKay?" "Yes, General. Dr. McKay here." "Oh. But yes, that is John's brother. I received a call from the Colonel a few minutes ago. There's nothing the doctors on Earth can do for him and he was hoping Beckett and Keller would be able to do more. I already approved it with Landry. So, I'll see you both in a few minutes. Well, I'll see the three of you. McKay can come too. O'Neill out."

Elizabeth looked at her senior staff members and nodded. "Go. Bring them back safely." They nodded and the three moved down the stairs to the gate room and walked through the gate.

SGA

John walked back into Dave's room. He walked over and sat on the couch. He took Becca's hands in his and looked directly into her eyes. "Becca, you need to listen to me, okay?"

She nodded hesitantly. "I just spoke to Dr. Heath and he said there's nothing more he can do. But." He looked at Nikki and then back at Becca. "I made a call to a good friend of mine who made another call to the base where I'm stationed." Her eyebrows scrunched together. "I don't understand. Isn't it just a military base? How would a military base be able to help Dave?"

John took a deep breath. "I'm not stationed on an ordinary military base. Before I can tell you more, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about anything I'm about to tell you. You still don't have security clearance, but that's being processed as we speak."

She looked between Nikki and John. She slowly nodded. "Becca, I'm the commanding military officer in a place called Atlantis. I'm sure you've heard of the Lost City of Atlantis?" She nodded. "That's the one. We're on a science expedition and I'm in charge of everyone's safety. I would never ask this if I thought there wasn't a chance it might help Dave."

"John, I don't understand." He nodded and looked down for a second and then back up at her. "There are doctors on Atlantis who are very experienced and have more technology than the doctors have here. Dave has a better chance of surviving there than he does here, you have to trust me on this. I'm asking for both of you to come to Atlantis with us. He'll receive the best care possibly in two galaxies."

She smiled at what she thought was his joke. She turned and looked at Dave. She watched as his chest slowly moved up and down. The looked at the tube that was the only thing keeping her husband breathing, at all the wires and iv's. She looked back at John. "Okay. We'll go."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. Because they're on their way here now. Two of my personal friends who are doctors will be accompanying General O'Neill who will talk to the hospital about releasing Dave into their care. He'll tell them he's being transferred to a military hospital since I'm in the military. No one can know where he's really going, okay?"

She nodded. John looked at Nikki and silently asked her to explain the rest. She nodded and turned to look at Becca. "Becca, there are some things you need to know before General O'Neill gets here. Are you up to discussing it right now?" She looked at the woman John seemed to trust. She looked at John and he nodded. She turned back to Nikki. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Atlantis isn't on Earth. It's in another galaxy. We'll be getting there by a device called a stargate. It opens a portal for you to step through and reach your destination. With this device, you can go to other planets, solar systems, and galaxies. All it is, is a round, blue surface that looks a lot like a puddle of water. All you have to do is step through it. It doesn't hurt. I've stepped through it plenty of times, as has John."

Becca turned to look at John, her eyes wide. "It's true, Becca. It doesn't hurt at all, I promise. It's perfectly safe." Unless there's a solar flare in the area, then you may be sent back or forward in time…, he thought to himself.

He squeezed her hands. "I'll be right there with you the entire time. The people on Atlantis are very nice and they'll help us. They'll help Dave as best as they can. Dr. Beckett and Dr. Keller have an exceptional team and they'll do their best. You have my word on that."

She nodded. "Okay. What about the kids? I can't just leave them here.."

John thought for a moment. "How old are they?" "The oldest is fifteen and the youngest is twelve." John nodded and looked at Nikki. "You think Teyla would mind?"

She shook her head and smiled. "You know Teyla. She never minds. And plus, she's expecting a child of her own. She'd probably love to watch them."

He nodded and looked back at Becca. "There's a woman named Teyla Emmagen. She's a member on my team and I've known her since the first day we found Atlantis. She's from a planet in the same galaxy that Atlantis is in. She's a very kind and caring woman. She's the leader of her people and would be more than happy to watch them while we're on Atlantis."

"So, will she be coming here or are we taking them with us and she'll watch them there?"

John thought for a moment. He really didn't want to push his luck with the SGC, but it was Dave's kids. "They'll be coming with us. You'll all have to sign a non-disclosure statement and I'll have to get them security clearance as well." She nodded. "Okay. Let's do this." John nodded and leaned back against the couch.

He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it out. He decided to text the general instead of calling again. He asked him to get security clearances for the two kids as well. He explained that they were too young to just be left at home by themselves, but old enough to understand why they couldn't talk about Atlantis when they returned to Earth.

They spent the next few hours waiting for their friends to get there. They didn't really do much. John's face was a little pale and Nikki didn't like that look. She volunteered to go down to the cafeteria and get them all some food. Becca decided to join her to learn more about her brother-in-law's girlfriend.

They walked down to the cafeteria in silence. They were originally going to take all the food back up to the room, but Becca had another idea. "Why don't we give John a few more minutes alone with Dave. He's a very private person and he could probably use the alone time right now."

Nikki nodded and they headed over to a table with their food. They sat down and started eating in silence. Becca was the first to break it. "So, tell me about you. I want to know more about the woman who's stolen my brother-in-law's heart." She looked up at Nikki with a smile on her face. Nikki blushed slightly and smiled. "I'm one of the head scientists on the base. I also have a medical degree and my father was in the military, so he practically put my brother and I through boot camp while we were growing up."

Becca smiled. "Ah, so you're a triple threat out there." Nikki smiled and looked down at her coffee. "Yeah, that's what John says. I'm really lucky to have him in my life." She looked up at Becca who looked thrilled. "You seem like a really wonderful woman. And perfect for John. I've noticed that it seems like you can look right through all those walls he puts up around himself. And he lowers them for you. You two must really care about each other. How long have you been together?"

Nikki almost laughed. "Well…we've been good friends for a few months. We started going on dates about two months ago, but we just made it official today."

Becca looked surprised. "Really? That's all? It seemed like you two had been together for quite some time the way you were interacting with each other." Nikki nodded and smiled. "Yeah, you'd think we have been. We've just been through a lot together and it's brought us a lot closer." Becca nodded, thinking everything through.

"So, you mentioned you have a brother?" Nikki nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "Yeah, he's a scientist on the base too." Becca finished her food and took a sip of her coffee.

"I see. Are you both in the same kind of science?"

Nikki actually did laugh at this. They had gotten in so many fights about what kind of science they each went into. "No. I'm an astrophysicist among other things and he's a botanist."

Becca nodded. Wow, John sure did land himself a smart one. And beautiful…,she thought.

"So, tell me about his team. What are they like? How many are on his team?"

"Well, there's three others on his team besides him. Dr. Rodney McKay who is the head of the Science and Research department and a completely arrogant man who surprisingly won over John's trust and loyalty and they're best friends. Ronon Dex is…a civilian contract. He looks really intimidating, and is if you pose a threat to John, the team, or…the base. He's very protective and a really cool guy when you get to know him. And then there's Teyla Emmagen. She's the leader of her people. They're called Athosians. She's one of the most caring people I've ever met. You'll really like her." Becca smiled. It seemed John worked with a lot of interesting people.

"What about others on the base? Is there anyone I should know about?"

"Dr. Elizabeth Weir is in charge of the expedition. John's her second in command. She's a civilian so he takes care of all the military and safety aspects. She's a really wonderful woman. Highly respected on the base. Dr. Carson Beckett and Dr. Jennifer Keller are the chief medical officers. They're the best in their field. Um…Major Evan Lorne. He's John's second in command. They've gotten really close since Lorne was transferred there."

Nikki looked down at her coffee for a moment and then back up at Becca. "Becca, I mean no disrespect when I say this. Our group back on base…we've become like an adopted family. We all look out for one another and everyone's really close. John, his team, Dr. Weir, Beckett, Keller, Lorne, my brother…we all consider each other family. We fight to save each other's lives almost every other day. It's brought us really close together. But, like I said, I mean no disrespect to you or your family when I say that."

Becca smiled. "I know you don't. To be honest, I'm not sure if John considers us really family anymore. I wouldn't blame him one bit if he didn't. John and his father never saw eye to eye. The last time they spoke to each other…Patrick had demanded John stay out of the military and stay and work in the family business. He actually told John that…He would be a disgrace to his family if he left to go fly a plane around with no concern for anyone but himself. That had hit John really hard. And then he and Dave got into a big fight about that fight. And John left. That was the last time we all saw him before the funeral. I had hoped those two would reconcile their differences before it was too late, but…as you can see, that didn't happen. I just hope that it's not too late for John and Dave."

Nikki nodded. "I'm sure it isn't. Our doctors will do their damnedest to help Dave. I know they will. There's still hope." She reached over and laid her hand on Becca's giving her some hope. Becca smiled and squeezed her hand.

They let go, but before they got up to throw their trash away, a cold voice came from behind Nikki.

"So, I see the whore's still here." Nikki's muscles tensed. She turned around to see Nancy standing behind her. Nikki stood up to face her. "What do you want?"

Becca stood up, but stayed where she was at. "I want to know why a little home wrecker like you is still here. It's disrespectful to this family and to Dave for you to be here. So why don't you scurry on away before I call security."

Becca moved to stand next to Nikki. "She's not being disrespectful, Nancy. She was invited here and she has more of a right to be here than you do. Now, I understand your intentions for being here for Dave, but if you continue to insult my brother-in-law's girlfriend, I will be the one to call security." Nancy's eyes buldged. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Nancy. You're not a part of this family anymore. You haven't been since you asked John for a divorce and tried to make his life miserable while he was in the States. He was nothing but nice to you. He didn't even ask for anything out of the divorce. And that was years ago and you're still bitter."

"I'm only bitter because he chooses to sleep around with little hoes like this one instead of coming back to me, where he belongs." Becca rolled her eyes. "You're the one who asked for the divorce. So drop it."

"Why don't you mind your own damn business, Becca? Oh wait, you don't know how to do that. Just like your husband."

Nikki kept looking back and forth between the two during the discussion. It was time for her to jump in. "That's a low blow and you know it. It's you who can't seem to mind their own damn business. I don't care what you call me, but don't you dare disrespect this family. It just proves how worthless you really are. Now why don't you do the scurrying and get lost."

Becca grabbed Nikki's hand and started to pulled her away. "Let's go back up to the room, Nikki. This isn't worth it."

Nikki turned away to follow Becca, but Nancy grabbed her arm, yanked her around and punched her in the face. Nikki stumbled back a step, but caught Nancy's next strike. She blocked it, grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back, and slammed her down on the table they had just been sitting at. She leaned forward and whispered in Nancy's ear. "The next time you decide to disrespect this family, think twice. This is nothing. Now I suggest you get your ass out of here before you're thrown out of here. Got that?"

She yanked on Nancy's arm for good measure and then released her. She turned back to Becca and they left the cafeteria together. As soon as they were clear of the cafeteria, Becca turned to Nikki.

"You truly are amazing. That was awesome. You didn't have to stick up for my family."

Nikki turned to look at her. "I know, but that was completely disrespectful and I couldn't just stand there and not do anything about it. Especially after she hit me."

Becca then noticed the line of blood running down Nikki's cheek. "Nikki, you're bleeding."

She reached up and touched the cut. "She must have gotten me with one of her rings when she hit me. John's not going to be happy when he sees this…" Becca shook her head. "No…he's not."


	10. Atlantis, Here We Come!

Chapter 10

Nikki and Becca walked into Dave's room. John was sitting in a chair next to the bed. He looked up when they walked in and immediately saw the blood on Nikki's face. He jumped up and moved over to her.

"What happened?!" She blushed and looked at Becca. "Well, you see, John. We sort of had a run in with a particularly unhappy…acquaintance."

John looked at Becca for a moment. "You mean Nancy, don't you?"

Nikki hesitated and then looked up at John. He could tell instantly from the look in her eyes that it was in fact Nancy. "Where is she?"

"John, don't worry about it. I took care of it." "Nikki, where is she?"

Nikki sighed but shook her head. "John…" He shook his head and looked at Becca. He was pissed. "Becca. Where is she?" Becca looked between the two, but told him where they had last seen her.

He took off out of the room. Nikki went to follow, but Becca stopped her. "Let him handle it. It'll only make things worse if you're the one who goes with him." Nikki nodded and reluctantly moved to sit on the couch. Becca got a paper towel and moistened it.

She moved over to the couch and sat down next to Nikki. She started to clean the cut for her with a smile.

SGA

John made his way down to the cafeteria. He was pissed. How dare she hurt his girlfriend. She had no right to be involved whatsoever or even be here in the first place.

He walked through the cafeteria doors and saw her sitting alone at a table rubbing her shoulder. He guessed Nikki must have showed her some of her moves after Nancy hit her.

He walked right up to her. "What the hell is your problem?"

Her head snapped up and she looked up into the face of her very pissed off ex-husband. "Me? She's the one who slammed me into a table!" He almost chuckled at that, but he was too furious. "You're the one who hit her. I'm not here to play 'she started it, no she started it'. I'm here to tell you to back the hell off from my family."

Nancy laughed a rather cruel laugh. "Oh, so now you're protective of your family. That's funny."

He had to refrain from hitting her. He wanted to so badly.

"Nancy, how the hell can I get it through your head that you're not a part of this family anymore and that you need to back the hell off?"

She shook her head and continued to rub her shoulder. "I'll always be a part of your family, John. Whether you like it or not."

"Oh yeah? And what's that supposed to mean?"

She winked at him and stood up. "Oh nothing. Just that I'm more invested in this family than you think."

John looked at her incredulously. "I can't believe you, Nancy. What the hell happened to the person I saw at Dad's wake? What happened to her?"

She laughed bitterly. "Since then I got my second divorce after being told I'm unable to have children. I was told if I would've tried ten years ago, I would have been successful. And then I see you with some little tramp who thinks she's all that just because she's stationed on the same base as you. You used to look at me the way you look at her. You belong with me, not her, John. When are you going to see that?"

His mouth almost dropped open. So, she was blaming him for not having kids. She was blaming him for moving on and being happy. "You're unbelievable. It's not my fault we didn't have kids, Nancy. You know that more than anyone. I remember saying that if you got pregnant, I'd quit the Air Force and stay to raise our family. I also remember you handing me the divorce papers and telling me to get out."

"You're mad because I moved on. That I'm happy now and am with someone I can really be myself with. You're mad that I'm not going to come running back to you just because you and…Greg? Grant. Whatever…just because you and him got a divorce. That's not my fault and it's not my fault that you're such a stuck-up bitch who wants everything handed to her. I'm sick and tired of having these arguments. Why do you think I didn't ask for anything in the divorce? Because I knew it would only cause more arguments than it was worth. Why do you think I didn't fight for our marriage? Because all it was, was fighting and loneliness. I was sick and tired of coming home after a long and dangerous mission and be nagged at for not being able to talk about it and then getting into a huge fight because of it. Nancy, I'm done arguing. I'm sick and tired of all of this. Have a good life, Nancy. And don't try to contact me or my family again. Good-bye."

With that he turned and walked away from her, leaving her standing there with silent tears running down her face. Maybe it finally sunk in that she couldn't have her way this time and that she had crossed the line. Probably not.

SGA

A few hours later, he was sitting on the couch with Nikki in his arms. They had gotten her cut cleaned and looked at. Now John was sitting there with his head resting on the wall and he was snoring softly. It was the first time he had slept for hours. He really needed the sleep.

Becca had left a couple of hours ago to pick up the kids and pack their bags. Nikki had assured her that they'd be fine there by themselves. John had already passed out before she left.

She had dosed off herself for about an hour.

Beckett, Keller, and McKay walked into Dave's room. O'Neill had gone to talk to Dr. Heath in private. They walked in to find John and Nikki asleep on the couch. John's face was still a little pale, but he was finally relaxed. Carson immediately noticed the cut on Nikki's face and wondered where the hell that had come from.

They tried to move silently, but McKay accidently walked into a chair. Nikki startled awake and looked up to see Beckett and Keller glaring at McKay who had his hands in the air. She chuckled and then turned and looked at her.

She sat up and motioned for them to leave the room to give John a few extra minutes of sleep. They followed her out of the room and she quietly closed the door behind them.

"Hey guys, glad to see you made it okay." She turned and looked at them. Jennifer was eyeing the cut on her cheek and what was turning into a bruise around it.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I already had it looked at. I just got into a little…misunderstanding…with John's ex-wife."

Rodney's eyebrow's seemed to shoot through the roof. "You got in a fight with his ex-wife?!" Nikki rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Things haven't been…well, the calmest around here. As soon as we got here, Nancy practically cornered us. I told her off, which earned me points with John, but it seriously pissed her off. When Becca and I, John's sister-in-law, went down to get some food, she started some more trouble, starting saying things to Becca and was being really disrespectful. I put her in her place and she hit me. Her ring cut me. So I twisted her arm around her back and slammed her into the table."

"Yeah, it was pretty impressive too." Nikki turned and saw Becca standing there with her two kids. Nikki smiled and moved to introduce everyone. "Becca, these are some of the people I was telling you about. Dr. McKay, Dr. Beckett, and Dr. Keller." She turned to them. "This is John's sister-in-law, Becca." They smiled at each other. Becca looked at all of them. "It's nice to meet some of John's friends. He never brings anyone around his family. Of course, he doesn't come around his family either, but that's another story." She chuckled and turned to her kids. "These are my two children: Carrigan and Jayden." She looked down and addressed her children. "These are the people we're going to be staying with for a while. So be on your best behavior. They nodded and looked at the Atlanteans.

Nikki smiled and then cracked the door open. John opened his eyes slightly and looked down to see that Nikki wasn't there anymore.

Nikki walked into the room and opened the door wider for the rest to follow. "How long was I asleep?"

Nikki looked down at her watch. "About two and a half hours or so. You needed the rest." He nodded and then looked up at the people behind her. He stood up and then got a surprised look on his face at the sight of McKay.

"Rodney? What are you doing here?"

He snorted. "What? Am I not allowed to come support my best friend? You know what, don't answer that."

John rolled his eyes, but pulled Nikki into a hug. It caught her off guard, but she knew that he needed the physical contact to stay grounded.

He let go after a couple of minutes and looked up at the Drs.

"Carson, Jennifer. Glad you could make it." Carson gave him a small smile. "Aye. We just wish we'd be returning to Ea…the states on happier circumstances."

He nodded. "Yeah, me too." Beckett gave him a small nod and moved to his side. "How are you feeling? You don't look so good." John managed a small smile. "I'm fine, Doc. It's my brother you need to worry about."

Beckett frowned but turned his attention to Dave. He took the chart that was on the table at the end of his bed and started flipping through it. Jennifer joined him and they went through it with hushed voices.

O'Neill walked into the room. "Sheppard! You look…well, not so good to be honest. I brought reinforcements like I promised. I just got everything squared away with the Drs. here. Oh, and I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of having a couple of men go to the hotel and pick up your bags. Just to save some time."

John nodded. "Good idea, sir. When are we leaving?" Jack looked down at his watch, smiled, then looked back up at Sheppard. "Now. Well, as long as the Drs. are ready to go, that is."

Beckett and Keller looked up from the chart. "Aye, we're ready." Jack leaned out of the door and motioned for a couple of nurses.

The nurses helped Beckett and Keller unattach the unimportant machines and then move his bed down the hall and into the elevator. They took him up to the roof and loaded him into a medical helicopter that would transport them to Cheyenne Mountain.

They all climbed in except Jack and Sheppard. O'Neill turned to Jack. "The pilot is a newbie. He's the only one I could find on short notice. I figured you'd want to take over from here. If you want to, of course." John nodded. He didn't want to take any chances when it came to his family.

"Yes, sir." John moved to the front of the helicopter and got into the pilot's chair. The original pilot had moved to the co-pilot's chair already. Jack climbed in and shut the door behind him.

John did his pre-flight routine, put on his headset, and radioed back to O'Neill to make sure they were ready to go. When he got the green light, he turned the helicopter on and flew them to Cheyenne Mountain.

When they reached the SGC, Sheppard shut off the helicopter and everyone unloaded. They got Dave down into the lower levels of the base and stopped right outside of the gate room.

Jack turned to Becca and her children. "Before I can allow you three to walk through these doors, I need all of you to sign a non-disclosure statement that says you will not, under any circumstances, tell anyone outside of this base and the base you're going to about anything you're about to see and have already seen. Is that understood?"

Becca nodded. "Yes, I have already discussed it with the children and they understand. We'll sign anything."

Jack nodded as an airman entered the hallway from the control room. He had three large envelopes and a pen. He handed them to O'Neill and Jack had had the three sign them. As the paperwork was being finished, Mitchell walked up to Sheppard.

"I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon…" He spotted Dave lying on the bed and up at Beckett and Keller. "Ah. I see." He looked up at Sheppard.

John gave the man a small smile. "This is my brother, Dave. He was in an accident and there's nothing the doctors here on Earth can do for him. So I called in some specialists."

Mitchell smirked. "Well, good luck, Sheppard. I hope things turn out for the best." He glanced at Nikki who had her arm around John's waist and was leaning into him tiredly.

Cam raised an eyebrow at John. "Yes, she's my girlfriend." Mitchell got a wide grin on his face and his eyes brightened. "I knew it! Well, congratulations then!"

Sheppard chuckled and nodded his thanks. And then they were moving into the gate room. Mitchell waved his good-bye to Sheppard and the gate started to dial.

The three new Sheppards watched in amazement as the chevrons locked and then gate was opened. John smiled and turned to them. "It's okay. Drs. McKay, Beckett, and Keller will go through first that way you can see it doesn't hurt. It's actually pretty cool."

Jack's voice came over the intercom. "Sheppard. You have a go. Oh, and good luck. Let me know how it's going."

John looked up at the observation window and nodded. "Will do, sir! And thanks again!"

Jack nodded and watched as the doctors pushed the bed carrying John's brother up the ramp and walked through the gate. Nikki released John and grabbed Becca's hand. "I'll walk through with you."

Becca nodded and smiled her appreciation. They made their way up the ramp and disappeared through the event horizon. John looked down at the kids. "Well, time to go, kids. Don't worry. I promise it doesn't hurt."

They nodded and John sent them through the gate first making sure they got through before he did.

And then they were back home, on Atlantis.


	11. Mourning or Making Peace?

Chapter 11

Beckett and Keller got Dave settled in the infirmary. Becca had decided to go with them to make sure he was okay.

The others were still standing in the gate room. John looked down at Carrigan and Jayden. He'd met Carrigan when she was born and when Jayden was about four, but he hadn't seen them since.

"You probably don't remember me, Jayden, but I'm your dad's brother. The last time I saw you, you were about four, I think." Jayden nodded and looked away, taking in his surroundings.

He turned and looked at Carrigan. "And the last time I saw you, you were only a baby." She smiled and extended her hand to him. "My name is Carri. What's yours?"

He smiled as he took her hand and lightly shook it. "My name is John. And this is my friend Nikki." She turned and shook Nikki's hand as well. "It's a pleasure." John smiled again and looked up as Teyla walked down the stairs and into the gate room. She went straight for John's side and looked up at him. "It is nice to have you back again, John. All three of you." She smiled at John, Nikki, and Rodney. They smiled back.

"Yeah, it's good to be home. Oh, meet my niece and nephew. Teyla, this is Carri and Jayden. Guys, this is my friend Teyla. She'll be looking after you while you're here."

Teyla smiled at the children and then turned to look at John. "I will?"

"Oh, yeah. Um…you don't mind, do you? Becca will be in the infirmary most of the time, as will I. I figured you were the best candidate for the job."

She smiled and nodded her head. "That is fine. I do not mind looking after them while your brother gets better." She turned to Carri and Jayden. "Are you guys hungry?" They both nodded. "Okay, let's go to the mess hall and get some food. Then I will show you to your quarters."

John and Nikki watched them walk away. Elizabeth came down the stairs and stopped in front of them.

"Good to have you back. Things have been quiet since you left. With Rodney not fussing and you not finding us extra problems to deal with, things have been…calm." She smiled and looked at John. He rolled his eyes, but gave her a small smile. "Yeah, it's good to be back. I need to get down to the infirmary though. So, if you'll excuse me…" He walked away, leaving the three of them watching him go. Elizabeth turned to Nikki.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Nikki nodded and followed her to her office while Rodney left to go to the mess hall.

In Dr. Weir's office, Nikki told her everything that had happened since they had left. Well, everything except what had happened in the hotel room. Elizabeth didn't need to know about that.

"I see you both have had an interesting couple of days." Nikki nodded and sighed, exhausted. Elizabeth smiled. "Why don't you go get some rest. You look like you could use it." She gave Elizabeth a grateful smile, stood up, and left her office.

She planned on going back to her quarters and going to bed, but she decided to go back to John's quarters instead. She had no idea when he'd be back from the infirmary, but she knew that when he did return to his quarters, he would need her.

She opened the door manually, set her duffel bag by the door, and sat down on his bed. She looked around his room. It was really tidy for a guy's room. Although, he had been in the military for, what? At least fifteen years.

She laid back on the bed and just looked up at the ceiling. She was laying with her legs dangling off the edge. It wasn't that comfortable, but it didn't have to be because about a minute after she laid back, she fell asleep.

By the time John got back to his quarters, they had been back on Atlantis for at least two hours. He walked into his quarters and saw Nikki lying on her side at the end of his bed. She must have come in there to wait for him, but had fallen asleep.

He chuckled and then got ready for bed. When he moved over to his bed, he decided to make her comfortable first. He took off her shoes first and then her socks. He carefully sat her up and removed her jacket. Then he moved the blanket aside, picked her up, and positioned her under the blanket. He pulled the corner up over her shoulder and looked down at her sleeping form.

He walked around to the other side and climbed in as well. He rolled on to his side, wrapped his arm around her, and fell asleep thinking about the woman that he loved.

SGA

Dave was in a coma for an entire week while on Atlantis. Beckett and Keller had tried everything they could think of to help him. Beckett had told John one day that they had given him a kind of drug that if he should come out of the coma, the chances of him having brain damage would lower. That had eased John's mind a bit, but it still didn't bring his brother out of the coma.

John and Becca took turns staying with Dave. Sometimes they would both sit with him. Sometimes the kids would be there, and sometimes Nikki would be there, either with Becca or John, it didn't matter. She stayed with both of them.

Nikki and Becca had become really close over the time they spent on Atlantis. It made John happy that his girlfriend got along with his family. Or at least the family that wasn't in a coma.

On the tenth day that Dave and his family were on Atlantis, John was sitting with him with a data pad. He was going over mission reports and filling out necessary paperwork.

He heard a noise that sounded like rustling, but he figured he had imagined it. He had heard it before several times, snapped his head up thinking Dave was waking up, only to be disappointed.

He heard the noise again and looked up this time just to be sure. When he looked up, his hazel eyes locked with a set of blue eyes, Dave's eyes.

John's eyes widened. His hand snapped to his com. "Carson! He's awake!" He leaned forward, setting his data pad on the bed next to Dave's.

"Dave, how are you feeling?" He looked around the infirmary confused. "Where am I?"

"You're on the military base where I'm stationed. I brought you here because I thought it might help your recovery with more advanced medicines. You're safe. Do you remember anything?"

He slowly shook his head. "No. What happened?" Carson came running into the room followed by Jennifer. "You were in a car accident and slipped into a coma." John looked up at Carson. "He said he doesn't remember anything."

"Aye, I'm not surprised. He was in a coma for almost two weeks." Carson checked his vitals as Jennifer went over the standard questions you ask a patient who just came out of a coma.

"I'm going to ask you a few standard questions. Do you remember your name?"

He nodded. "David Sheppard." Jennifer nodded. "Your birthdate?"

They went through several more questions, Dave answering them perfectly. He looked back at John and their eyes met. "John, am I seeing things or is it really you?"

John gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, Dave. It's me." Dave looked confused again. "But, why? Why are you here?"

The look that passed through John's eyes next was pain. He reached up and hit his com again. "Nikki, will you please bring Becca to the infirmary? Dave's awake."

John took Dave's hand and squeezed once, but Dave took it back. "I'm here because you're my brother and I wanted you to get better."

He stood up and moved away from the bed. Jennifer threw John a sad smile that he missed and continued to ask Dave some questions and filled him in on some of the details. Dave's eyes never left John's. Dave's eyes were accusing where John's were filled with raw pain. He had tried to save his brother's life, but that wasn't good enough for Dave.

As soon as Becca and Nikki walked in, John left. He didn't look at anyone, but he didn't have to. Nikki immediately saw the pain in his eyes. She looked at Jennifer confused. Keller stepped aside so that Becca could see her husband. They stepped out of earshot of the bed and Jennifer told her what had happened between the men when Dave had awoken.

Nikki nodded and excused herself to go find John.

She found him in his quarters. He had his head in his hands and his shoulders were shaking. She went to his side and put her arm around his shoulders. He leaned into her arms and she held him while he couldn't hold in his feelings any longer.

Having Dave ask him those questions had broken him. His own brother was asking why he was there at his sick bed. Some brother I am, he thought.

It took him a while to get his feelings under control again, but he didn't move away from her. He needed her right now. She was his anchor to sanity. She kept rubbing his back and trying to soothe him. Before she knew it, his muscles relaxed and he started to snore softly.

Good, he needs some sleep, she thought.

She laid him down on the bed and then took his boots off. She grabbed an extra blanket that was laying on a chair, curled up next to him, and fell asleep with him. She wanted to make sure she was with him when he woke up.

SGA

John hadn't gone back to the infirmary in three days since Dave had woken up from his coma. He didn't feel it was his place to visit him. Nikki visited once with Becca.

She had introduced Nikki as a good friend of hers, and then as John's girlfriend. They had talked for a while, but then Nikki had to go. She was late for her shift.

Nikki went back when no one was there. She wanted to talk to Dave and see if he really thought things between him and John were really hopeless as John did.

She walked into the infirmary and saw that Dave was awake and reading a book Becca had brought him. She walked over to his bed and he looked up at her and smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Oh no, of course not. Please sit." She sat in the chair that was sitting next to his bed. "So, what do I get the pleasure of seeing you here for?"

She bit her lip once, but sighed and told him why she was there. "I was wondering why you don't want John to visit you while you're here."

That took Dave by surprise and he looked away. "It's not that I don't want him to visit. I do, I want to see him. He's my little brother. But…he doesn't want to see me. That much is clear since I've been awake for three days now and he hasn't come by once."

Nikki wanted to shake her head at him, but she refrained. "He doesn't think you want him here, that's why he hasn't come by." Dave looked up with sad eyes. "Why wouldn't I want him here?"

"Don't you remember what you said when you woke up and he was here?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "He was here when I woke up? I'm sorry, I don't really remember what was going on when I first woke up. The first thing I remember is when Becca came."

Nikki sighed and looked down at her hands. "Then I have a story to tell you, Dave. And you need to listen." He nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"Two weeks ago, we were sitting at our usual table in the mess hall eating breakfast when John got a call from Earth saying he was needed. All the message said was that there had been an accident involving you. He was instantly worried and went to pack his bag. When John and I stepped through the gate and were back on Earth, General O'Neill told us that you had been in an accident and that you were at St. Rose Hospital. It took us hours to get there, but John couldn't do anything but stare out the window and hope his brother was okay.

We got to the hospital and immediately his stress doubled. We ran into Nancy and they argued. We got to your room and I could see the pain and sadness in his eyes from looking at his big brother lying motionless on a bed with a breathing tube in his throat. He blamed himself for not being there sooner. He didn't admit that, but I knew he did because I know him. When the doctors told him there was nothing they could do for you, that didn't stop him. He immediately made a call and made sure that you received the best treatment possible, which was to come here. He arranged security clearances for all of you. He made sure your kids would be able to come. He didn't leave your side for practically the entire time we were on Earth. The only time he did was because of Nancy.

When we got here to Atlantis, John and Becca took turns sitting by your side. John didn't want you to be alone when you woke up. He made sure there was someone here at all times. Someone that you knew. Dr. Beckett had to force him out of the infirmary several times because he didn't want to leave your side, sure that you'd wake up soon. And then you did. And he was there for it. He tried to grab your hand, but you pulled away from him. You asked him why he was there. He said it was because you're his brother, but you just sat there and stared at him. That made him feel like a horrible brother. He went back to his quarters and mourned the loss of his brother that was very much alive and awake."

He just sat there staring at nothing, taking it all in. She stood up and looked down at him. "You needed to know that. Now the ball is in your court. If you don't want to do anything with that information, fine. You might want to mourn the loss of your brother as well and just forget you have a brother. You put him through hell and I don't want to see him in that much pain again because of someone he calls family."

Dave looked up at her with sad eyes. "But if you do want to do something with that information, than do something before you leave. Don't wait until you're back on Earth, because it'll be too late then. He needs his big brother now. He brought you here, to his home in another galaxy to make sure you survived. To make sure you could function again if you ever woke up from the coma. If anything, don't you at least owe him an apology?"

Dave could do nothing but stare at her. She shook her head and started for the door. "Wait."

She stopped and turned to look at him. "Does he even want to see me after all of that?"

"You're his brother. His family. You should know the answer to that."

Nikki walked out of the infirmary, not realizing she passed Becca on the way out. She stepped into the infirmary and walked over to Dave's bed.

"You know she's right. About everything. John turned the world upside down for you, risked his career to bring you and your family to another galaxy where he knew you'd get the help you needed. He's a good man. I've gotten to know him since he came to the hospital in California. You're missing out on a relationship with an amazing man. Dave, he's your brother." Dave nodded and took her hand. "You're right. You both are."

SGA

John, his team, Nikki, and Alex were all sitting around the same table they had been sitting at the day John had gotten called back to Earth. Ever since Dave had woken from his coma, John had been subdued and kept to himself more than usual. Today, he had tried to insert himself into the conversation again and make things go back to normal.

He needed normality. They were talking about the next mission the team was going to go on, when John's radio came on.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Dr. Beckett. I need to see you in the infirmary right away." He reached up and hit his com. "Is there some kind of emergency?"

His teammates stopped and stared at him. It was like déjà vu. "Aye, I need you in here now."

"On my way." He looked at his team. "There's an emergency in the infirmary. Carson needs me. I'll see you guys later."

He jumped up and jogged out of the mess hall. Nikki watching him go, silently hoping it was Dave trying to make amends.

He made his way to the infirmary in record time. He ran in, but the only one there was Dave. He was sitting on the end of the bed he had been occupying for days. He was dressed in his usual clothes. It looked like he was being released.

Dave looked up when John ran into the room. John froze as their eyes connected. What was going on here?

Dave gave him a small smile and gestured to the chair near him. "Please, sit? I'd like to talk."

John slowly walked over to chair, but instead he stood behind it and tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Fair enough. John, I wanted to apologize. For everything. What I said to you when I woke up, that wasn't fair." He paused and looked down at his hands. "I've had some time…okay, a lot of time…to think about what has happened. I've been told everything that you did for me when I was in the coma. And then for me to just dismiss you like that when I woke up. That wasn't right. You didn't have to come back to Earth for me, but you did. You didn't have to risk your career to get me and my family-our family-here to another galaxy, but you did. And you did it for me. I owe you an apology for everything."

He looked up at John and saw the pain in his eyes. He was always good at hiding his feelings from his features, but his eyes told everything. "You're my little brother. And I'm sorry."

John nodded. He accepted the apology. John knew Dave meant it. He could see it in his eyes.

"You know, I've had a lot of time to just sit here. There have been several military personnel in here and they have all told me what an honor it is to serve under your command. They told me about how you sacrificed your life time and time again to save several people, not only on this base or from Earth, but strangers from different planets. They told me about how you used your smarts to think up solutions to problems that seemed impossible to fix, but you managed it. I don't know how many stories I was told of you and your team."

He chuckled and nodded. "And then there's Nikki. She came in here a couple of nights ago and let me have it." He looked down at his hands. "She really opened my eyes to what I did and to what kind of man you are. And then Becca really ground it in afterward. It seems you have my wife on your side." John chuckled and gave Dave a small smile. "Well, I can't help that I'm so charming."

Dave actually laughed and looked up at his little brother. "Same old John." John's smile grew and he looked at the floor and blushed. "Now, I was just released and I'm starving. So, would it be too much to ask if we could go to the mess hall and maybe get to know each other again?"

John looked up at his brother and his smile grew. "I'd like that, Dave." Dave nodded and stood up. "Well, it's settled then. You need to tell me more about this girlfriend of yours…" They laughed and walked out of the infirmary together.

They entered the mess hall laughing and telling each other stories. Now that John didn't have to keep secrets from his brother anymore, it was easier to get to know him.

Everyone sitting at their regular table looked up when the brothers walked in. They all smiled as they watched their friend get to know his brother again. John was finally happy and had his family back.

Nikki smiled when John glanced over at her and met her eye. She winked at him and his smile grew. She could practically feel the happiness coming off of him as John and Dave sat down at an empty table and shared stories.

Everything was back to normal. For about a month. And that's when their next adventure began.


	12. Sibling Ties

Chapter 12

"Unscheduled gate activation!" and Colonel Sheppard ran into the control room from Elizabeth's office.

John reached the panel first. "Who's out?"

"Major Lorne's team is on planet P29-685 with a science team and Stackhouse's team isn't due back until tomorrow."

Sheppard nodded and watched the gate lock. "Any idc?"

After a pause, "It's a Major Lorne's idc!"

"Lower the shield!"

The shield lowered and then the science team made their way through. Lorne's voice crackled over the radio. "We're coming in hot!"

John grabbed his sidearm and ran down into the gate room to help the soldiers who were positioned with p90s. Lorne's team walked in backwards, still firing. Then Lorne came through. He had his arm around Nikki and was supporting her weight.

The gate shut down and John ran over to Lorne and Nikki. "Lorne! Nikki! What the hell happened?"

Lorne turned and looked up at his commanding officer. "Everything was fine. The villagers were kind and nothing seemed to be up, but then they just came out of nowhere. I gave the order to get back to the gate. We almost made it there when Nikki was shot in the leg and fell. I went back for her. That's why we were the last one's through, sir."

John turned to Nikki. "Are you okay?" She nodded, but he could tell she was in pain. She couldn't put any weight on her left leg.

He reached up and hit his com. "Medical team to the gate room." Lorne looked at him. "Um, sir? Do you want to switch places?"

Nikki laughed and looked up at John. He smiled and switched places with his XO. He turned to Nikki and lowered his voice so she was the only one who heard him. "You're going to be okay." She smiled up at him and nodded. "I know. It just hurts like hell. How the hell do you deal with getting shot all the time?"

He snorted and shook his head. "You take it time by time, day by day. I'd say it gets easier, but…it really doesn't." She rolled her eyes and they looked up as Keller and her team ran into the gate room with a gurney. They made their way over to John and Nikki.

John helped Keller settle her on the gurney and he followed them as they left for the infirmary.

Everyone who had been on that mission followed a little more slowly behind them for their post-mission checkup.

As soon as they got to the infirmary, they immediately took Nikki into surgery. John sat in the waiting room impatiently. He knew she was going to be okay, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her.

Lorne sat down next to Sheppard after he had his checkup. John looked up and gave the major a small smile. "I'm sorry, sir. I should have been closer to her."

John shook his head. "Don't apologize, Major. You did your job and you brought your team home. Hell, you only had one casualty! That must be some kind of record when it comes to being attacked."

Evan smirked, but shook his head. "Yeah. You come back with your commanding officer's girlfriend wounded. I'd say that's some kind of record."

John sat up and made sure Evan was looking at him. "Lorne, it's not your fault. She knew what she was getting into when she walked through that gate, just like we all do. She had a weapon and she knows how to use it. Hell, she's practically military. I'm not blaming you, neither is she. Actually, I wanted to thank you."

Lorne's eyebrow's furrowed together. "Thank me, sir?"

John nodded and gave him a smile. "You brought her home. Alive. The only thing that happened was she got shot in the leg and she'll recover."

Lorne looked down at his hands. "You're not mad?" "Hell yeah, I'm pissed! But not at you. I'm pissed at whoever attacked you. And if I ever find out who shot my girlfriend, they'll regret the day they attacked you. I promise you that."

Lorne smiled and looked at John. "Yes, sir."

They continued to sit in the waiting room and talk while Nikki was in surgery. Keller walked out a while later and walked over to the two men sitting there.

John looked up and saw her approaching. He stood up and looked hopeful. "She's fine, Colonel. She did nicely in surgery and she's in recovery now. You can see her when they bring her out."

He let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Doc." She smiled and moved back into the infirmary.

John looked down at Lorne and smiled. "See, I told you she would be fine. She's pretty tough."

Lorne nodded. "That she is, sir."

Ronon, Teyla, and Rodney entered the waiting room. Teyla quickly moved to John's side. "John, we just heard what happened. Is she okay?"

John smiled and looked at his friends. They all cared about her and cared what happened to her. It made him feel really good to have his friends care so much about the woman he loves. "She's fine, thanks to Lorne and Dr. Keller."

Ronon looked down at Lorne and slapped him on the shoulder. Lorne looked up at John. "You don't have to give me any credit, sir. Dr. Keller deserves it all. She performed the surgery."

"Yeah, but you're the one who went back for her. You were being shot at and you could've just left her there and made sure the rest of the team got back safely, but you risked your own ass and you brought her home. I don't know about you, but that deserves some credit in my book."

Lorne stood up and smiled at Sheppard. "Well, when you put it that way…" They all laughed and then moved into the infirmary. Nikki had been wheeled into the main part and was already awake.

John moved to her side and took her hand. "Hey, how you feeling?"

She smiled up at him. "Like I've been shot." McKay snorted. "Oh that's nothing. Try being shot with an arrow in the…gluteous maximus…" He stopped what he was saying when Ronon gave him a death glare.

Nikki laughed at her friends. Keller walked over to the bed. Her face was unreadable.

"Okay, visiting time is over. I need to talk to my patient." Nikki smiled at John as he leaned down and kissed her forehead before getting up and leaving with his friends.

"What's up, Doc?" Keller pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. "Nikki, have you been experiencing any nausea or loss of appetite?"

"A little bit here and there, but nothing worth worrying about. Why? What's wrong?"

Keller took a deep breath and looked up at her friend. "I ran a blood test like is usual for post-mission checkup. And I found something."

Nikki sat up straighter. "What did you find?"

Keller gave her a small smile. "Nikki, you're pregnant."

SGA

A couple of days later, John and Ronon were sitting on one of the many balconies on Atlantis. Ronon turned to John. "So, Shep, when does Nikki get released from the infirmary?"

John looked over at his friend. "She gets released today actually. Doc said she's made a speedy recovery. She just has to take it easy for the next couple of days."

Ronon nodded and turned back to the view of the sunrise. They had already gone on their morning run and were just relaxing and watching the beautiful sight.

"Is she okay?" John looked back at his friend. "Yeah, I just said she made a speedy recovery."

Ronon rolled his eyes. "Well yeah, but every time I go in there she seems…distant."

John looked back at the view and thought about it. Now that he really stopped to think about it, she had seemed a little distant ever since Keller had kicked them out after she had had surgery.

"Um…I'll see you at breakfast." Ronon watched his friend stand up and quickly walk down the hallway in the direction of the infirmary. He hoped everything was okay.

Since his quarters were between the balcony they had stopped at and the infirmary, John stopped and quickly changed into his usual attire: black cargo pants, his boots, and his long sleeved button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He walked into the infirmary and saw Nikki sitting on the edge of the bed, already wearing her normal uniform and ready to go. She was staring off into space and didn't even notice John come up and stand in front of her. "Nikki? You okay?"

Her head snapped up and she noticed John was standing there. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." She plastered a smile onto her face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

John's eyebrow's furrowed and he got a worried look on his face, but before he could say anything, Keller walked around the corner. "Okay, Nikki. You're all set. Let me know if you have any problems." Nikki nodded her thanks to the doctor and stood up. She had to walk around with crutches for a few days, but it could be worse.

She grabbed the crutches and started moving towards the door. She had already started to space out and wasn't paying attention to anything John was saying.

"Nikki. Nikki!" She snapped her head around. "What? Did you say something?"

He stopped and stared at her. "Okay, you're starting to worry me. Tell me what's going on. You know you can tell me anything."

She sighed and nodded her head. "I know, John, and I'm sorry. I just need a little time, okay? Please be patient with me?"

He nodded his head and stepped towards her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her into him. She let him hold her and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

"I love you, Nikki. I'll be here whenever you decide you want to talk." She nodded into his shoulder. "Thank you, John. I love you too."

They made their way into the mess hall. John sent her to the table their friends were at while he got their food. She smiled her thanks at him before he turned to leave.

She got to the table and sat down. Teyla leaned closer to her. "Is everything alright?"

Nikki looked up at her and hesitated. Teyla saw the hesitation and smiled. "We can talk later in private if you wish." Nikki nodded and smiled. "Thank you." Teyla's smile brightened and she looked up as John approached and sat next to Nikki.

John was quieter than usual for the rest of breakfast as he sat and contemplated what could be wrong with Nikki. The entire table seemed to sense his distraction, but left it alone.

His radio crackled. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Major Lorne. Please respond."

John reached up and hit his com. "Sheppard here." Rodney rolled his eyes. "Are we ever going to have a normal breakfast where Sheppard doesn't get called off somewhere?"

John chuckled at Mckay. "Are you going to be in your office later?"

John's eyebrows furrowed together. "Yeah, why? What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking about stopping by. There's something I needed to talk to you about involving that mission the other day, but I forgot until a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll be in my office in about half an hour until lunch."

"Thank you, sir. Lorne out."

John took a sip of coffee and looked up to see everyone staring at him. "What?"

Ronon grunted. "You're not leaving?" John chuckled. "No, not this time."

They continued with their conversation and John went back to sipping his coffee. Until his radio crackled again. "Sheppard, this is Weir, come in." "Sheppard here."

Ronon actually laughed when John hit his com again. "He's never gonna catch a break."

Teyla smiled at him and nodded. "Yes, it seems that is what happens when you're the commanding military officer of a base."

"I need to see you in my office in half an hour." "Will do, Sheppard out."

He hit his com again. "Lorne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

"This is Lorne." "Looks like we're going to have to reschedule that meeting in my office. Elizabeth wants to see me in half an hour. I'll be back in my office after lunch though."

"Sounds good, sir. Lorne out."

Nikki looked at John and took his hand. "Seems like you're quite popular today." He snorted and nodded. "Yeah, seems that way. I'm just waiting for something big to happen." She rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "You're gonna jynx it, you know that right?"

John laughed and nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

And that's when his com crackled. Again. "Colonel Sheppard, this is Colonel Caldwell."

John sighed and hung his head. "I'm never going to catch a break…"

He reached up and hit his com. "This is Sheppard. I thought the Daedalus wasn't due back for a few more weeks, Colonel."

"We weren't. And then we got a little surprise visit at the SGC. I need you to meet me at the East pier immediately."

John sat up, alarmed. "Sir? Do I need my team?" His team looked up and watched him, immediately alert.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Actually, why don't you bring Teyla. She's good at keeping things calm. I've already radioed Dr. Weir that we'll be touching down on the East Pier. I'll see you soon. Caldwell out."

John closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. He opened them and looked at Teyla. "Well, Teyla, it looks like you and I are on our way to the East Pier. The Daedalus is here. And from the sounds of it, it's not a good thing."

She nodded and stood to clear her tray. John looked over at Nikki and took her hand. "I'll see you later?" She nodded and kissed him quickly. His smile brightened and he and Teyla left the mess hall.

They reached the East Pier and met up with Colonel Caldwell. "Colonel. Teyla."

They both said, "Colonel" at the same time. And then John continued talking. "So, what happened at the SGC, sir?"

"A young woman walked in and demanded to speak to General O'Neill. She was in the military and had security clearance, but I've never met her before. She told O'Neill a story about recently finding out that she's adopted. And that she has a twin sister who's in the Stargate Program. She demanded to see her."

John and Teyla exchanged looks. "So, I'm guessing she's stationed out here, sir?"

Caldwell nodded. "I have no idea how the woman found out her sister is involved with the program, but O'Neill checked into it. Her story checks out."

John nodded and contemplated what that may mean. "Is she here with you, sir?" "Yes, she is. I wanted to talk to the two of you first and figure out the easiest way to introduce the two of them without anyone freaking out."

Teyla nodded and spoke up. "Colonel, who is this woman's sister?"

"Dr. Nikki Teagan. Well, and her brother Dr. Alex Teagan, of course."

John's eyes widened. He didn't know what to say. He looked at Teyla and her eyes had widened as well. "Is there a problem here?"

John shook his head. "No, sir. Just caught us by surprise. Why don't we bring her to Elizabeth's office and we'll figure things out from there."

Teyla nodded. "I think that would be the best course of action. We should hear her story before getting Nikki and Alex involved."

Caldwell nodded. "As you wish."

Caldwell radioed the Daedalus and had the three of them beamed to the control room. They walked into Elizabeth's office right as the woman was beamed into her office.

John stopped in his tracks. The woman looked a hell of a lot like Nikki. They had the same facial features and the same build, but this woman had blonde hair where Nikki had auburn. Nikki had freckles and light blue eyes, where this woman had brown eyes and no freckles.

It was really weird to see the similarities of his girlfriend in a stranger. He looked at Teyla who was equally in shock.

Elizabeth stood up and walked towards the woman. "Hello, I'm Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I'm in charge of the Atlantis expedition. It's nice to meet you." The woman looked up at her and frowned. "I thought this base was military run."

She hesitated and turned to look at John. John stepped forward. "Elizabeth is in charge of making all the decisions. I'm her second in command and the Commanding Military Officer of the base."

"And your name is…?" He glanced at Teyla before turning back to the woman. "Colonel John Sheppard. And you are?"

Her back straightened slightly when she realized he was a Colonel. "Major Kira Holt, sir. United States Air Force."

He nodded his head. "Nice to meet you. So, explain to me again why you're here?"

Kira looked around at everyone standing in the room. "I recently found out that I was adopted. My parents died and in their will, were my adoption papers. I quickly found out who they had adopted me from. It seems a young couple got pregnant with twins, but they couldn't afford both. So they gave one up: me. I found out who my sister is and that we have a brother as well. I was recently given security clearance, but hadn't come to work for the stargate program yet. That's how I found out they were both here and why no one recognized me at the SGC."

John nodded his head and looked at Teyla. She nodded her head slightly and he turned to look at Elizabeth. "I think it's time I went and got Nikki and Alex. I also think it would be better and easier if I explained to them what was going on first, before they met…Kira."

"I agree with John, Elizabeth. It won't be as big of a shock to them if we explain what is going on first." Elizabeth nodded. "Go. Explain to them and then bring them here."

John nodded and left her office with Teyla right behind him. "I want you to go find Alex and explain it to him. I'll go talk to Nikki."

She nodded and they split up. She went to his lab and found him doing some research in the Atlantis database. "Alex? Do you have a minute?"

He looked up from his laptop and smiled. "Of course! Please, sit down, Teyla."

She smiled and sat down on one of the stools by his work area. "Alex, I need to discuss something with you. It is very important. Someone just arrived on the Daedalus and wants to meet you."

"Really? Who is it?" Teyla took a deep breath and then launched into her explanation of who Kira was.

SGA

John walked into the mess hall and found Nikki still sitting with Ronon and Rodney. Keller had joined them as well. He walked over to the table. "Nikki, I need to talk to you."

She looked up and immediately knew that whatever it was, it was serious. "Yeah, okay. What's going on?" He looked around the table and then back at her. "I think we need to talk in private."

She nodded and got up. They walked to one of the balconies in the mess hall that was farthest away from people. She turned and looked up at him. "Okay, so what's going on? Does this have anything to do with the Daedalus getting here?"

He looked out over the ocean. "Actually, yes. The Daedalus brought someone with them that came specifically to meet you and Alex."

"Meet me and Alex? John, what's going on?" He looked down at her. "Nikki, there's a woman here named Kira Holt. Her parents recently died. In their will, they left her a set of adoption papers stating that she was adopted when she was a baby. She tracked down her real parents and found out that they were young when they had her and her sister and they couldn't afford to have twins. So they had to give one up for adoption. And they chose her. Nikki, you have a sister."

She just stared up at John dumbfounded. "What?"

"Nikki, your sister is in Elizabeth's office. I wouldn't have believed it myself, but I met her. She looks a lot like you. There's no way she's lying about this."

Nikki looked away and tried to wrap her mind around all of this. This was impossible. Why would her parents even consider giving up a child?

"How'd she know we were here?"

"She's in the Air Force. She recently got security clearance to work for the SGC and when she found out about you and Alex, she did some digging. She found out you both were here and demanded to come here and meet you."

She absently nodded and stared off into space for another minute before looking back up at John. "When can I meet her?" "Whenever you're ready. We don't have to rush this. I can tell Elizabeth you need some time to wrap your mind around this. It's understandable. I'll cover for you if you need more time."

She shook her head and gave him a small smile. Of course he would cover for her. He would do just about anything for her.

"No, it's okay, John. I'll go meet her. But…you'll come with me, right?"

"Of course! I don't plan on leaving your side unless you ask me to." She smiled and reached up and kissed him. "And that's why I love you." He smiled and kissed her back.

They left the mess hall and made their way up to the control room. She stopped before going over the walk-way to Elizabeth's office. "So, that's her?"

She was sitting in a chair across from Elizabeth's desk. They were sitting and talking, not paying attention to John and Nikki.

"Yeah, that's her. You sure you want to do this now?" She nodded and looked up at him. "Yeah. It's now or never." He smiled and walked in front of her.

When they entered the office, everyone looked up. Kira frowned. "I thought you were going to bring my sister and brother with you." Nikki stepped from behind John. Well, as best as she could on crutches.

Their eyes met and they stared at each other for a long minute. No one said anything. Kira finally stood up. "My name is Kira Holt." "Nikki Teagan."

Kira smiled and moved towards Nikki. "It's really nice to finally meet you. Ever since I found out I have a sister, I've been trying to find you. Not once did I think about what I'd actually say when finally met you…"

Nikki gave her a small smile. "That's okay. I'm still in shock." Kira smiled and looked up as Teyla and Alex walked in.

His eyes widened and he looked from Nikki to Kira and back again. You could definitely tell Alex and Kira were related. Everything Kira and Nikki lacked in similarities, Alex and Kira shared it.

It was obvious that these three were siblings. Kira smiled up at her big brother. "So, you must be Alex."

He nodded, still in shock. "I'm Kira Holt. It's nice to finally meet you as well."

Nikki looked up at her. "So, how long are you on Atlantis for?"

Kira turned to look at her. "Only a few days. I go back when the Daedalus leaves."

Nikki nodded and her and Alex looked at each other. He looked at his new sister and smiled. "Well, I guess that means we need to get to know our sister. Starting now."

Kira smiled and nodded. They made plans to go to one of the recreational areas and get to know each other and then have lunch together. They started to move out of the room, but Nikki turned to look at John. "I'll be fine. I'll see you at lunch?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Have fun. Radio me if you need anything." She smiled. "I will."

She leaned in a little closer and whispered so that only he could hear. "Love you."

His smile brightened and he whispered as well. "Love you too, baby." It was the first time he had used a pet name with her and her face just lit up.

She left with Kira and Alex. Elizabeth turned to John. "You two sure have gotten awfully close."

John rolled his eyes at her, but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

SGA

They had been talking for a couple of hours now. Sharing stories that ranged from their childhood to things that happened on Atlantis, including why she had to use crutches.

Then Kira looked up with a smile on her face and looked at Nikki. "So. I saw the looks you and the Colonel were making at each other. And I saw the good-bye. Is there something going on there?"

Alex laughed. "Yeah, that's her boyfriend." Kira's eyebrows shot up. "Oh really? You're dating the Commanding Military Officer of Atlantis?"

Nikki blushed and nodded. "Yeah, we've been together for a few months now."

"So, what's it like dating your boss?" Nikki rolled her eyes. "He's not my boss. Elizabeth is my boss. He's in charge of the military. If we go on missions together, then I have to follow his orders, but other than that, he follows mine." She gave her sister a sassy smile.

Kira's face lit up. "Oh my goodness! That's priceless!"

Alex's face scrunched up. "You know, I really don't want to hear about your sex life. I really don't. I consider the guy a friend and he's dating my sister…so that's just weird."

Nikki rolled her eyes and looked at her brother. "You're just jealous because I have a sex life." She stuck her tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes at her. "Not that that's any of your business, but I do too, thank you very much."

They continued to banter back and forth to each other. Then she looked up at Alex. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you, but you can't tell anyone. No one knows except Jennifer."

She looked at Kira. "You can't tell anyone either." She laughed. "Who I am going to tell? I don't know anyone here."

Nikki smiled and took a deep breath. She looked up at Alex. "I'm pregnant."

Alex's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. "You're serious? You're pregnant? With John's baby?!"

Nikki nodded her head and watched his reaction. After he got over his shock, his face lit up and he practically pounced on her. "Congratulations!" Kira practically squealed. "Oh my goodness! I just find my long lost siblings and then I find out I'm going to be an aunt! This is officially the best day ever."

Nikki smiled at them. But then Alex composed himself. "Wait, John doesn't know?"

She shook her head. "I wanted to wait until after I got out of the infirmary, which was today. We only made it to breakfast before John got called away. That's when the Daedalus got here and then everything happened at once. I haven't had the time."

He nodded and his face lit up again. "I'm going to be an uncle. Wow. I never thought the day would come…" Nikki shoved him but smiled. She looked down at her watch and realized it was time to head to the mess hall.

She looked up at Kira. "I hope you don't mind if we sit with our friends at lunch? You're going to love them." Kira nodded. "That's fine. I want to get to know the people you live with and call family."

They made their way to the mess hall. Their friends were already sitting there, but John still hadn't arrived. They went and got there food, Alex carrying Nikki's tray as well as his own. Ronon looked up as they approached.

He stood up and dragged an empty table over to their own to join the two, that way they had enough room. Kira sat in between Alex and Nikki. Nikki made sure to leave a seat next to her open for when John got there.

They had been there for half an hour and still John hadn't shown up. Nikki looked over at Teyla. "Teyla, do you know why John isn't here?" Teyla looked over at her and furrowed her eyebrows. "No, I figured you would know. I was just about to ask you."

Nikki frowned and hit her com. "John, this is Nikki. Please respond…John, this is Nikki. Please respond." She looked up at Teyla. They were both confused. Teyla hit her com. "Major Lorne, this is Teyla. Please respond." She got no response.

Nikki hit her com again. "Chuck, this is Nikki Teagan. Please respond."

"What can I do for you, Dr. Teagan?"

"Can you tell me where Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne are?"

There was a pause before the radio crackled. "They had to go off world, ma'am. They left about an hour ago."

Nikki's head snapped to Teyla's. "Why didn't Sheppard's team go with him?"

"Colonel Sheppard accompanied Major Lorne and his team to P29-685. They went back to settle the negotiations from a couple of days ago. Dr. Weir decided not to send a big team and that the familiar faces of the major and his team would help. She also said that she'd feel more comfortable if Colonel Sheppard went along as well."

"When are they due back?"

"They're due back in two hours."

"Thanks, Chuck. Let me know when Colonel Sheppard gets back." "Will do. Chuck out."

Nikki chewed on her lip. "What did Chuck say?" She looked up at Ronon.

"John went with Evan's team back to the planet where we were attacked to settle the negotiations. Elizabeth didn't want a big team going, but she wanted John there. She figured some familiar faces would help, that's why Lorne's team went. But…I don't know."

Ronon nodded. "I know. I have a bad feeling too."


	13. On The Run

Chapter 13

Sheppard, Lorne, and SGA2 were on their way back to the gate after successfully negotiating for some crops. Everything had gone smoothly so far.

But that didn't stop John from getting a really bad feeling. He had mentioned it to Lorne and told him to keep his eyes open.

That had been just over two hours ago. They were about a mile and a half from the gate when bullets started to fly towards them.

Sheppard gave the order to book it back to the gate. His team was soon surrounded except for Lt. Wheelhouse who had managed to slip past the men who were attacking them. He hid behind a tree and tried to get a good shot.

Sheppard looked up and spotted him. He slightly shook his head and then motioned towards the gate ever so subtley. Wheelhouse nodded and took off towards the gate as quickly and quietly as possible.

He made it back to the gate without being seen. As soon as the gate activated, the men surrounding Sheppard and the others got distracted by the noise.

John knew they'd never make it back to the gate, so he made the order to attack and then they took off running away from the men to try to find refuge until reinforcements arrived.

Wheelhouse quickly entered his idc and then ran through the gate once the shield was lowered.

He ran in and immediately flew up to the control room to find Dr. Weir.

"Dr. Weir!" Elizabeth met him at the stairs. "Lt. What happened? Where's the rest of your team?"

Wheelhouse took a second to catch his breath, but then caught her up on everything that had happened. Elizabeth turned around and walked over to Chuck. "Get Sheppard's team up here, now. I also want another team of marines going with them." Chuck nodded and made the calls. He also made an extra call to Nikki, letting her know the situation.

Once they received the call, the team looked at each other sitting around the table at the mess hall. Ronon slammed his fist down onto the table. "I knew it! I knew he shouldn't have gone without us!"

They jumped up and made their way to get ready and then into the control room as quickly as possible.

Nikki, Kira, and Alex went straight for the control room, whereas the team went for the locker room. When they walked in, Nikki went straight for Elizabeth. "Dr. Weir, what's going on?"

She explained to Nikki that Sheppard and his team had been attacked and they were still on the planet. They didn't know much else. Kira stepped around Nikki. "I want to go with them, ma'am. I'm highly experienced in situations like this. Albeit, I'm not as familiar with an alien planet, but you need as many capable soldiers as you have out there getting your men back and I want to help."

Elizabeth turned and looked at Kira. "Are you sure?" Kira nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

Nikki and Alex stared at Kira. "Kira, it's really dangerous out there. You don't have to do this."

Kira smiled at her new-found sister and put her hands on her shoulders. "Nikki, I do have to do this. For one, the father of your child is out there on that planet being attacked and I'm not going to stand around here twiddling my thumbs waiting for something good to happen. That's not me. And for two, well let's just say there's a little bit of self-ish reasons I'm doing it as well. Nikki, I'll be fine. I have to do this, okay?"

Nikki nodded. "Come back safe. And bring him with you." Kira smiled and nodded. She was about to leave, but then stopped. "Um, I don't exactly know where the locker room is…"

Alex stepped up. "Come on, I'll show you."

They left the control room and Elizabeth turned to Nikki. "Did she say the father of your child?"

Nikki blushed and looked down at the ground. "Yeah. I haven't really told anyone yet besides Kira and Alex. And Jennifer knows because she did the test."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. "But John doesn't know?" Nikki looked up at her with sad eyes. "I was going to tell him tonight."

She gave Nikki a small smile and put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed a little bit. "They'll bring him home. They always do."

Nikki smiled. "Yeah, I just wish for once he didn't get into any trouble." Elizabeth chuckled. "You and me both."

Chuck yelled over to Elizabeth, "The teams are ready!" She nodded. "Dial the gate."

He started dialing and Elizabeth moved to the balcony. She looked down at the people going. Teyla and Ronon looked up at her. "Bring them home safely."

They nodded and then stepped through the gate.

SGA

Sheppard led his men through the forest about three and a half miles from where they'd been attacked. They found a river and, hidden beside it, a small cave big enough for all of them.

He ushered everyone inside, surveyed the area to make sure they weren't seen, and then stepped inside. He turned and looked at his men. "Is anyone injured?"

They all shook their heads and he nodded. "Good. Wheelhouse made it back to the gate to get reinforcements. All we have to do is wait it out until Atlantis gets here. If we're lucky, Ronon will be pissed and will shoot first, ask questions later."

Lorne chuckled and nodded. "Sir, I'm pretty sure all it takes is for you to be attacked and he'll shoot first, ask questions later."

Sheppard smirked and leaned out of the cave, surveying some more. He smiled to himself at the thought of how much the Satedan cared for him. What Lorne had said was true. Ronon was very protective.

They waited in the cave for about ten minutes and then Sheppard heard a noise.

The men didn't hear it because they were quietly talking amongst themselves. Sheppard stood up and moved to the mouth of the cave. Lorne watched and followed him.

"Sir?" Sheppard held up a hand, silencing him. He leaned out as far away from the mouth of the cave as he dared. He knew he had heard something.

And there it was again. The snapping of a twig. He whipped around and silenced the men. He picked up his p90 from the ground and slowly made his way out of the cave with Lorne a step behind him.

He didn't see anyone, but that didn't mean they weren't there. He stopped and knelt down behind a bush. He motioned for Lorne to do the same. He just caught sight of one of the men who had attacked them moving towards the river. So far he hadn't seen them or the cave.

And then Sheppard's radio crackled. He moved as quickly as he could to shut it off and stop it from making noise. It was too late. The man had heard it and started moving towards where the noise had come from.

Then Sheppard got an idea. He turned his radio back on and held the button down so that the team that had just come through the gate could hear everything. He signaled for Lorne to shoot him before he got any closer. He wanted the team to hear the gun fire, that way they knew they were alive and still fighting.

Right as Lorne was pulling the trigger, Sheppard spotting about ten more men closing on their position. Under the cover of gunfire, he lifted the radio to his mouth. "3 and a half clicks east. By the river." He quickly turned his radio off, stuffed it into his pocket, and started firing at the quickly advancing men.

The team from the cave quickly made their way to Sheppard and Lorne's position and started firing as well. It was five against a quickly growing number. There were a lot more of them than they had thought.

SGA

When Sheppard's voice yelled over the radio, Ronon immediately started in the direction he had said to go. They could hear the gunfire without the radio. They had tried to reach him again, but Ronon figured he had shut it off to avoid being detected.

He quickly found their men's tracks and set off in the direction they had gone. They had made it the spot where they'd been attacked before Sheppard had used the radio, so it wasn't hard to find the tracks.

After a few minutes, the gunfire stopped. That could either mean that their friends had succeeded and fought off their attackers, or were injured, unconscious, or dead.

Ronon didn't want to think about the second option.

SGA

Sheppard signaled for the men to jump in the river. It wasn't too bad of a current and it just might keep their attackers from following them. He tucked his radio as far into his vest and close to his body as he could. He wanted to be able to use it again when he needed to.

The men jumped in first while Lorne and Sheppard held off the others. When he saw they were all in the river, he motioned for Lorne to follow. As soon as he heard Lorne hit the water, he jumped in himself, a bullet grazing his arm as he stopped firing.

They tried to stay underwater as much as they could. That way the attackers didn't know where to fire and there was less of a chance at one of them getting hit.

Luckily, the river had a faster current that the men couldn't keep up with. That was just about the only thing on their side at the moment. That, and the fact that their friends were on their way through the forest after them.

Sheppard didn't like the idea of just leaving his friends to deal with the men, but they had the element of surprise on their side. They were coming up behind the men who were following the river south. He was fairly confident that they could hold their own in this situation.

Once they lost the men, they started trying to find things to grab hold of to get themselves out of the water. As great of a tactic as it was, the water was cold. They wouldn't be able to stay in there much longer.

Sheppard spotted a low-hanging bridge a little ways up ahead. He yelled to his men to grab ahold of it when they got close enough. They nodded and focused their efforts and attention on that bridge.

About a minute later, John realized the bridge was the last thing between them and the giant waterfall they were approaching.

SGA

Teyla knew that John would be very upset with her when they found him that she had gone on the mission. He had told her he was taking her off of active duty because of her pregnancy, but there was no way that she was going to sit around while her friend and teammate was being attacked on another planet.

They made good time and made it to the river quickly, but then the tracks stopped. "They're not here? But Sheppard said at the river!" Teyla glanced over at Rodney, but then continued surveying the area.

They found the cave they had been in and the bush Lorne and Sheppard had been behind. Ronon moved to the bush and then looked up at Teyla. "Teyla! Over here!"

She moved towards him and saw what he had been looking at. John had positioned sticks in an arrow towards the river before he had given the order for them to jump in. He knew Ronon couldn't track them once they jumped in and he didn't want to take the chance of his radio not working.

"Good ole Shep." Ronon started down the length of the river. "They jumped in! Look for signs of them! Anything. Their vests, clothes, anything."

The teams followed Ronon, letting him lead the way. He had been a runner for seven years, afterall.

SGA

They were quickly approaching the bridge/waterfall. "Okay! This is our last chance before we go over. Whatever you do, get on that bridge!"

They all yelled their acknowledgements and focused on the best way to catch the bridge before going over the waterfall.

Sheppard would be the last to hit it since he had been the last one in. Their first guy was minutes from reaching it and Sheppard watched him intently. He reached the bridge, reached up, and barely had time to grab onto the rope. He pulled himself up and secured himself so that he could help the others.

The second man made it onto the bridge just fine with the help of the first. And then the next man came. He was getting there quickly. Everything was fine until he boot snagged on a branch in the water and pulled him under. By the time he resurfaced, he had already passed the bridge.

Before anyone could do anything, he went over the waterfall. There was nothing they could do for him. There was no way he could survive that fall. He made a mental note to have Elizabeth send a team to see if they could recover a body.

Lorne was having the same problem. He boots kept getting snagging and he kept being dragged under. He made a snap decision.

He saw a rock coming up between him and Sheppard. He looked at Sheppard and he nodded. Evan lunged for the rock, slammed into it, and held on. Sheppard tried making his way over in that direction.

He made it over far enough to reach out his hand towards Lorne as he was passing. Lorne grabbed him around the wrist and Sheppard flung him in his direction.

There had been no branches to get caught on in the path John was going. They both reached the bridge at the same time. Thankfully, there were two marines up there and they both caught the men by their wrists and helped them climb up.

John didn't pause to relax his aching muscles. He jumped up, hauling Lorne with him. He started making his way to the end of the bridge when one of the ropes snapped.

The bridge pitched to the left, sending the men sideways. Luckily, they had all been already hanging onto the rope that hadn't snapped and were able to hang onto the bridge as it dipped into the river.

They started to slowly work their way along the rope towards land, but it was a wide river and there was a lot of rope.

John was about twenty feet from the shore when he heard gunfire. It was too far off to be the men shooting at him. His first thought was of worry for their friends. He had been distracted by the gunfire and hadn't noticed log that was coming downstream straight towards him.

Lorne saw it too late. He shouted to Sheppard, "Colonel! Look out!"

John snapped his head around and saw the log right as it hit his legs. The force of the blow knocked the rope out of his hands and sent him under the water.

Lorne lost sight of him for a couple of minutes. Sheppard had opened his eyes when he went under, saw the broken rope and reached for it. Thankfully the log hadn't carried him with it.

He caught the rope and slowly made his way to the surface, but it wasn't enough to be able to reach the top rope. He was barely able to keep himself surfaced.

Lorne picked up his speed and made it to the Colonel. He reached his hand down as far as it could go. "Colonel! Grab my hand!" John looked up and saw Lorne's arm reaching towards him.

He caught his arm and Lorne pulled him up out of the water enough that he could reach the top rope again. He turned and looked at Lorne. "Thanks, Major. I'd be over that waterfall if it weren't for you."

"Don't mention it, sir. If I don't make sure you make it home alive, Nikki will shoot me for sure."

John laughed and looked at his XO. They had gotten a lot closer in the past couple of months. "Nah, she wouldn't shoot you. She'd probably have Ronon shoot you."

Lorne laughed and nodded. "True. Either way, I'd prefer that not to happen?" John nodded and looked back at the shore. "Yeah, so would I, Major."

By the time John had reached the top rope, the firing had stopped. John stopped moving towards shore and dug in his tact vest. He pulled out his radio and turned it on. Somehow it still worked.

"Ronon, Teyla, this is Sheppard. Come in." There was a pause before Teyla's voice came over the radio. "Colonel Sheppard, it is good to hear your voice. Where are you and the rest of the men?"

He turned and looked at Lorne. "We're saved, Major." Lorne smiled and nodded. "Thank God!"

John pressed the talk button. "Well…technically we're in the river…and technically…we're not."

He released it so that he could get a better grip on the rope. "Colonel?" John chuckled and hit the botton, "Well, you see we're in a bit of a pickle. We happened to come across a waterfall. A pretty big one too. We managed to catch the bridge before we went over. All of us except Schimdt, that is. We were crossing the bridge when one of the damn ropes broke. We were making our way back to shore by using the top rope, but we recently had some difficulties and it slowed us down. We're about twenty feet from shore and the only thing stopping us from going over that damned waterfall is a bridge that's falling apart. So, if you could make it down here soon, I'll buy everyone that came with you a beer when we get home."

"Copy that, John. Hang on, we'll be there shortly." "We'll do our best, Teyla. Sheppard out."

He tucked his radio back into his vest and secured it before starting towards shore again. He made it about five feet before that rope gave a little. He didn't completely snap, but it was close. "Stop! The rope's about to go!" He quickly dug out his radio again.

"I change my mind. If you get here in the next two minutes, I'll buy everyone a damn keg! The rope is about to give."

Teyla looked up at Ronon and they burst into a run. John quickly tucked the radio away again and grabbed onto the rope with both hands. It gave a little more and they dipped farther into the river.

"Colonel, I don't like this." He shook his head. "Neither do I, Major, but our only chance is to move as less as possible until Ronon can secure the rope."

John looked over in the direction they would be coming and saw Ronon running as fast as he could.

He reached the rope and immediately grabbed onto it and started pulling on it. He brought it up far enough that some men behind him were able to hold on to the end of the rope as well for extra security.

Once they got it as secure as they could manage, John yelled the men. "Okay, move!" They moved as fast as they could to shore. Teyla and Kira helped pull all four of them up onto the land.

John laid back and let his muscles relax for a minute. "Got here not a moment too soon." He sat up and looked at his friends. "Glad you could join the party." Ronon snorted and moved towards Sheppard. He held out his hand and John took it.

Ronon pulled him to his feet and then turned and did the same for Lorne while the other marines helped the other two up.

"Good to see you too, Shep." John smiled and rested his hand on Ronon's shoulder. "I owe you a keg, my friend."

Ronon smiled and nodded. "That you do."

"Okay, let's go home, and I'll put in an order for the Daedalus to ship it out the next time they're on their way to Atlantis." "Sounds like a plan, Shep."

Rodney walked over to Sheppard. "All they did was hold a rope!" Sheppard rolled his eyes. "Yeah? And what did you do?"

Rodney shut his mouth. "Point taken." Sheppard grunted and looked up at Ronon who was giving Rodney a death glare. "Come on, kids, let's get back home."

"Kids? Sheppard, you do realize I'm just as old as you are, right? I mean…I don't know about Conan here, but I am not a kid…" He trailed off at Sheppard's look. "Rodney, it's a figure of speech. Now get walking. I want to get home before it gets dark and cold."

They started on their way through the forest and then a thought struck Sheppard. He turned and looked at Kira. "What are you doing here?"

She turned and looked up at him. "The team needed all the help they could get, sir, so I volunteered to come with. And I promised Nikki I'd bring you home in one piece."

Sheppard chuckled and looked at Lorne. "Looks like you're not the only one who's looking after me for her." Lorne chuckled and nodded. "Yes, sir. We all know how she would skin us if we didn't bring you home."

John laughed and shook his head. He thought it was priceless that he was the Commanding Military Officer, the man who was supposed to make sure his team got home safe at all costs, even if it meant his own life, and here were his friends doing the same thing for him to save their asses when it comes to his girlfriend. Nothing could beat that.

They were on their way home. They were almost back to safety. Almost. And that's when Kira accidently stepped through a trap that had been covered up quite effectively. Someone had covered a hole that led down into deep chasm.

Her foot went through the branches that were covering it. She fell through the branches and would have fallen to her death, but John had been walking right next to her when she went through.

When he saw her go down, he grabbed a hold of her wrist, locking theirs together, and went down with her. They fell about seventeen feet before he found a root to catch hold of and stop their fall. It jarred his shoulder to stop their fall like that, but he held on as tightly as he could.

He looked down at Kira. "Are you okay?" She nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry. I didn't even see the hole!" "It's okay, Major. Neither did I. It happens to the best of us."

He looked up towards the top of the hole. Lorne, Teyla, Rodney and Ronon were peering down. Lorne called down to him. "Colonel, are you both okay?" "Besides the aching in my shoulder from a grinding halt like that, we're fine. Get some rope and haul us out of here!"

Lorne and Ronon looked at each other. "We should send the marines back to the gate and get rope from Atlantis. I don't trust the rope from that bridge."

Ronon nodded and looked back down at Sheppard. "Might wanna hurry. He can't hold on forever."

He nodded and looked down at Sheppard. "I'm going to send the marines back to Atlantis to get rope. Just hang on, sir!" "Just tell them to hurry, Major!"

Lorne turned to the maries. "You heard the Colonel. Get back to the gate as quickly as possible and bring back that rope. Tell Dr. Weir the situation, but get your asses back here."

They nodded. "Yes, sir!" They took off running in the direction of the gate. Rodney watched them go. "Sure hope they don't get lost." Ronon grunted and rolled his eyes.

SGA

The marines ran through the gate. Elizabeth, Nikki, and Alex were already waiting in the gate room when they came through. "Where are the others?"

One of the marines moved towards Dr. Weir. "We subdued the men who attacked Colonel Sheppard and the rest of them, but when we found them, they were in the river hanging onto a bridge that was giving out. We got them out of the water safely and were on our way back the gate. And then the new girl…I'm sorry, I don't know her name. Blonde, she was walking with the Colonel and his team ahead of us. She stepped through a trap that led to a chasm. Colonel Sheppard was walking next to her and was able to grab ahold of her arm before she went through, but they both went down. He managed to grab ahold of a root about…fifteen feet down or so, it was hard to judge from the top. Major Lorne sent us back for rope to haul the two up."

Dr. Weir nodded and motioned for the other two to quickly get what they needed. When they were ready to go back, she turned to the marine that had relayed the story. "Hurry and get back to them. And bring them back. In one piece." "Yes, ma'am, I'll do my best."

They quickly went through the gate and ran in the direction they had come from.

SGA

Nikki looked at Elizabeth as the gate shutdown. "They were attacked, stuck in a river hanging onto a bridge that was giving out, and now, as if they hadn't laughed in the face of death enough times today, John and Kira are hanging from a root in a chasm? It's as if something's conspiring against them and wants them to die. Why the hell can't they just make it back safely for once without the extra life-threatening experiences?"

Elizabeth nodded and stared up at the gate. "I hate to say it, but that's the Pegasus Galaxy for you. It doesn't seem fair, does it?"

Nikki shook her head and moved back towards the step. All this stress and worrying was tiring her out. She sat down and set her crutches to the side and put her head in her hands. "No, it's not. I just want them home safely already."

Elizabeth and Alex sat down on either side of her. Alex started rubbing circles on her back the way John did to try to calm her down. "So do I. And I'm not letting them leave for a week. I think they've used up their punch card for escaping death for a while."

Nikki nodded and sighed. She just wanted John back. He couldn't die. She was having his child and he didn't even know.

SGA

Rodney looked up and saw the marines approaching. "Well it's about time!" Ronon grunted. "McKay. Shut it." He grabbed the rope from the men and tied one end of it around a tree not too far from the hole, but far enough where they could grab onto it and pull their friends to safety.

He tossed the rest of the rope to Lorne. He caught it and moved carefully to the edge of the chasm. He looked up at Ronon who nodded, signaling he was ready.

"Okay, Colonel, Ronon tied one end around a tree and I'm going to toss the other end down to you. We'll pull you up."

Sheppard looked down at Kira. "When he tosses the rope down, grab it and they'll pull you up."

"What about you, sir?" "I don't have any free hands at the moment, Major, unless you want me to let go of the root."

She snorted and shook her head. "Yeah, go right ahead." He chuckled and smiled at her. "You know, you're a lot like Nikki. Same attitude and everything."

She looked up at him. "Really?" He nodded with a sincere look on his face. "Yeah. You remind me of her. Which definitely helps in a situation like this where you could plunge to your death at any minute."

She snorted again. John looked up at Lorne as he tossed down the rope. "Okay, pull the Major up when she gets a hold of it." "Yes, sir. We'll get her up here and then toss it back down to you."

Kira grabbed hold of the rope and wrapped it around her wrist, securing her to it so she didn't slip off.

He watched as they slowly pulled her up and got her to safety. John's hand slipped a little and slid further down the root.

"Lorne! I can't hold on much longer!" Lorne's face reappeared over the side of the chasm and saw that he had slid a little further down the root.

"Here comes the rope, sir!" The rope came down towards his. It was just barely long enough to each that far down. He fastened it around his wrist just as Kira had done. As soon as his weight shifted to the rope, the root gave out and tumbled down into the darkness.

John and Lorne watched it fall. Sheppard looked up at Evan. "It's a good thing you got the rope down here when you did." "Aye, sir. Otherwise we would have lost you. Just hang on, sir."

They slowly pulled him up and over the edge of the chasm. Lorne grabbed his arm and helped him get farther away from the hole, just in case. "Well, I'd really like to sit down, but I'm afraid if I do, something else will happen. So! Let's go home, shall we?"

He turned and looked at Kira. "And you stay next to me. I don't want you falling into more chasms." She rolled her eyes, but moved to walk alongside him.

They made their way back to the gate and Rodney dialed. He entered in his idc and they were finally on their way home.

SGA

Nikki hadn't left John's side since he got back from Hell planet, as John, and the rest of his and Lorne's team were calling it.

Carson released John a few hours after they had gotten back. He had a small graze from a bullet on his right arm, bruises on his wrists, and a sore shoulder, but other than that he was fine.

Kira walked up to John, right as they were about to leave. "Colonel? I want to thank you for saving my life back there." He looked down at her and smiled. "That's what family does. And you're family now, Major. Whether you like it not. And besides that, it's my job. And Nikki would have murdered me if I would have come back without her new-found sister. I'd be a dead man." "Yes, sir. Probably."

He smiled again. He was about to turn and walk away, but looked back at her. "Oh, and when we're off-duty, call me John. I am dating your sister afterall." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, Col-...John. Wait. When we're off-duty?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I figured you'd want to stay close to your siblings now that you found them. I sent in a request to have you transferred here. As soon as we got back, I had Elizabeth send it to the SGC along with a detailed report about how you volunteered to go and ended up helping to save my life along with Major Lorne's and his team. Sufficed to say, I'm your boss now. I mean...unless you want to go back to Earth."

Her face lit up and she looked at Nikki. Nikki looked up at John. He just kept amazing her. He did that for her and her new family. He was truly an amazing guy. "No, sir. I don't want to leave." He looked at her sternly, half-joking around. "Um...sorry. John." He smiled and nodded his head. "You'll get used to it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really could use a hot shower."

They said good night Kira and left.

As they left the infirmary, Nikki looked up at John. "So, I was thinking about staying in your quarters tonight, if you didn't mind."

He smiled down at her. "When do I ever mind when you stay in my quarters?"

She smiled and nodded. "When I hog the bed." John snorted and rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe just a little…" They laughed and made their way to his quarters.

He turned and looked at her. "I'm going to take a quick shower. I'm still freezing from being in that damn river." She nodded and moved to sit on his bed. She set her crutches down alongside the wall and then made herself comfortable. She picked up John's copy of War and Peace.

He was on page one hundred and thirty. She opened it up to that page and started reading, careful to keep his page. She made it through several pages before John finally walked out of the bathroom wearing a towel and dripping wet. He was drying his hair and walking over to his dresser.

She set the book down on the nightstand and watched him move. She watched as he dropped the towel, put clean boxers on, and then crawled onto the bed next to her. She smiled and kissed him on the lips. "John, you remember earlier today when you asked me what was wrong and I told you to be patient with me?"

He looked up at her and nodded, his face instantly going serious.

She took a deep breath and sat up. She swung her legs around so they were hanging off the side of the bed. She turned around and tugged on his hand so he would move and do the same.

When he was sitting on the edge of the bed facing her, she took another deep breath and looked up at him.

"Okay, do you also remember when I was in the infirmary after my surgery and Jennifer kicked everyone out saying she needed to talk to me?"

He nodded, his eyebrows scrunching together. "Yeah, I do. Nikki, what's going on?"

She looked down at her hands. "I didn't want to tell you when I was in the infirmary, and then this morning, everything just…happened. I didn't really get a chance. And then you were gone on another planet and then you were attacked and then you were in a chasm…I thought I would never see you again, never be able to tell you."

John grabbed her hands with one hand and gently lifted her chin with the other, making her look him in the eyes. "Nikki, you're scaring me. What is going on?"

She smiled and stared into his eyes. "Jennifer ran a blood test. She wanted to tell me something she had found when she got the results back." She took another deep breath to calm her shaky nerves. It was now or never.

"John, I'm pregnant." His eyes widened and he just sat there for a moment, letting everything sink in. She was pregnant? He looked away still trying to wrap his mind around it.

She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until he looked back up and she saw the pure happiness that was shining in his eyes. "I'm going to be a father?"

She smiled and nodded. "You're not upset, are you?" His face practically lit up. "Are you kidding? Nikki, we're going to be parents! I should be freaking out about the idea of raising a mini me, but…I'm going to be a dad!"

Her face lit up and she nodded. He stood up, unable to keep his excitement down any longer. "I can't believe this! I'm going to be a dad!" He turned back to her. "Who else knows?"

"Jennifer, of course. And I told Kira and Alex before lunch. Oh…and Elizabeth knows. Kira accidentally said something about it in front of her before she and your team left to go save your ass."

He smiled and nodded. It still hadn't sunk it all the way. It probably wouldn't for a while. He was going to be a father. And he couldn't have been more happy!

He sat back down on the bed. He put his hands on either side of Nikki's face and kissed her passionately. They stayed like that for a while until she leaned back. "I'm so glad you're happy about this."

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm becoming a father with the woman I love. What's not to be happy about?"

"Well, we've only technically been dating for about two months. That's not a very long time…"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know, but we had been going on dates for two months before that. So really, we've been together for four months. And besides, I really don't care. I love you, and that's all that matters to me."

Her face lit up. He was taking this way better than she thought he would. And that made her ecstatic.

He leaned in to kiss her again, but stopped. "Can we tell people? I don't want to keep this a secret from my team. Or from anyone for that matter. I don't know how long I'd be able to keep a handle on my excitement anyway."

She laughed and nodded. "Yes, we can tell people. I'm already about two months pregnant."

He stopped. "Wait, wouldn't that mean you got pregnant the first time we had sex?"

She stopped and did the math in her head. "Huh. Well, first time's the charm!"

He rolled his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and slowly lowered her down onto the bed.

"How about we get in a little practice before the little one comes along?" She gave him a sassy smile. "Well well, Colonel. Aren't you naughty!"

He laughed and started kissing her neck. "That's what you love about me."


	14. Ancient Devices

Chapter 14

Nikki walked out of the bathroom and sat down on John's bed. She had started to show a few weeks ago. John was absolutely thrilled by it. Whenever they were together in private, he would rub her belly and talk to it. He would just lay there and tell their child everything that had happened that day.

Whenever Nikki would ask, he would say he just wanted the baby to know his voice when he was born, but the truth was he was already so in love with his unborn child, he just couldn't wait for it to be born. He already wanted to interact with it. He was so excited.

Every time John would talk to their child, Nikki would run her hand through his hair and just watch him as he dove into story after story for their child. She mused that by the time their child was born, it would be able to recite every story on Atlantis by heart.

He hated spending time away from Nikki. Especially when it was to off-world on a mission. Every time they stepped through the gate, they ran the risk of never coming back. He had to come back. For his child and for Nikki.

They didn't tell him this, but his team and Lorne had made it a personal goal to make sure he returned no matter what. That child needed its father.

Today Sheppard's team was scheduled to go on a mission. They had about two hours before they left.

John had started to work on some paperwork while she showered. He was really starting to get behind so he was taking every opportunity he got to get some done.

He looked up at her when she sat down and started brushing out her hair. He set his laptop aside and scooted down to the end of the bed.

"You know, John, we really should start looking for some bigger quarters. One room and a bathroom isn't quite big enough for two adults and a baby. And I doubt you'd still want to live in two different quarters once the baby comes."

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know. The only problem is that we can't power a lot of the city and that greatly restricts where we can look for bigger quarters."

She sighed and nodded. She had already talked to Elizabeth about locating a bigger room and she had consented. Elizabeth understood that they were about to be a family and needed to have somewhere big enough for the three of them.

"When's your appointment with Keller?" She set the hairbrush down and leaned into John's shoulder.

"About an hour after you leave. I wanted to get it scheduled for before you went off-world, but she's been pretty busy lately."

John nodded and rested his head on top of hers. "It's almost breakfast time. We should probably head to the mess hall."

They got up and made their way to the mess hall. Their friends hadn't gotten there yet, for once, so they got their food and sat down at their usual table.

They had just sat down when Ronon walked in. He got his food and made his way to the table. "Hey, Chewie, where's Amelia?" "On duty. She had an early shift today."

John nodded and started eating his food. Rodney walked in and, of course, made a beeline for the food.

When he got settled, he didn't even say hi before digging in. "Good morning to you too, McKay. Thanks for asking. How do I like the weather you ask? Mm..well, I could do without the rain, but I've had worse. What about you?" McKay looked up from his food and rolled his eyes at Sheppard.

Whenever he was in a good mood he liked to pick on Rodney. And, of course, McKay would pick right back. "Oh, you know. I've been dealing with some smartass clouds, but yes, I agree, I've had worse."

John rolled his eyes and looked up as Kanaan and Teyla joined them. He nodded his head in Kanaan's direction. He had never really had a conversation with the man, but he knew Ronon didn't have a problem with him. As long as Teyla was happy and Ronon didn't have a problem with him, neither did he.

Soon Lorne and Kira had joined them as well. When Kira sat down at the table, John looked in her direction. "So, Kira, any plans for today?"

Kira looked up at him and shook her head. "No, not really. A couple of sparring sessions later, but that's about it. Unless you consider getting lost around here plans." He chuckled and nodded.

"Well, I wouldn't dwell on that too much because you'll be going off-world with Ronon, Rodney, and myself. Unless you'd rather wonder aimlessly around the city."

Her face lit up and she nodded. "Yes! I mean, I would love to go off-world. Where are we going?"

He smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "Just a little planet on the edge of the solar system. We're going to check it out and see if there's anything there. There's nothing about it in the database, so I figured it's worth checking it out. And plus, Ronon here's been whining about getting off-world."

He looked up from his food. "I'm restless. And you're one to talk. Every time we spar you get antsy. You're itching for some action, I can tell."

"Well, hopefully not too much action I should hope." John looked at Nikki. "I can take care of myself."

Rodney snorted. "Please. Remember the time when Kolya kidnapped you and fed you to a Wraith? Or the time you literally ran into an iratus bug and we had to kill you to save you? Oh, what about the time when you got stuck in the Sanctuary in a time dilation field and who had to come save you before you wasted away of old age before supper?"

John rolled his eyes. "First of all, you didn't have to come save me when I got kidnapped. I escaped without your help, thank you very much."

McKay snorted again. "Yeah, with the help of a Wraith! What about the bug? Ford killed you and then Carson saved you. And I'm the one who saved your sorry ass from the Sanctuary."

John sat up straighter and looked at him. "Yes, Rodney, you got me out of there. But who saved your ass from Elizabeth tearing it apart when you destroyed most of a solar system? Or how about when you and Elizabeth were held hostage by Kolya and his men. Who saved your ass? Or when you got zapped and got smarter for a while? Who tried to help you so your head didn't explode and you could ascend and still live! Or when you had that bug in your brain that made you forget everything. Who was there for you through the entire thing, staying by your side as you slowly lost your memories, and then helped Jennifer drill into your skull to save your life. Hm? I think I deserve a little credit here, Rodney."

Rodney huffed. "You weren't alone any of those times." "For saving your ass from Elizabeth I was. And you weren't alone either. You didn't do a damn thing when I got kidnapped except carry a gun and sit in the puddle jumper. I admit, I tend to get myself into a bit of trouble sometimes," Ronon grunted, "but, I'm not helpless and most of the time, something good comes out of it. Like, take for example when Kira fell through that trap. She may have died if I hadn't grabbed onto her hand and went down with her. Or when you and I checked out the Genii bunker and we became prisoners? If I hadn't of decided to check it out, we wouldn't have gotten that Wraith intel, now would we?"

Rodney sputtered, "N-No." John kept going. "Or how about when I decided to check out that planet that ended up having the thousand-year-old Wraith on it? We got a lot of intel that day and survived to tell the tale. I could keep going, if you prefer, but I think you get my point."

McKay nodded and took a sip of his coffee. John sat back in his chair and sipped his own coffee. The man drove him nuts, but he did have a point. Trouble did seem to follow him everywhere he went.

Ronon looked back and forth between Rodney and Sheppard. He laughed and shook his head.

Nikki rested her hand on top of John's. She lowered her voice so that way he was the only one who could hear her. "You will be careful, John, right?"

He turned and looked at her. "Yes, I'll be careful. I will come back, I promise you that."

She smiled and nodded. "Good. I'll hold you to that promise." He smiled as well. "Good. I expect you to."

SGA

Sheppard and his team had been walking through dense forest for the better part of an hour. They hadn't found anything interesting. Ronon stopped and looked at Sheppard. "Hey, Shep. What does that look like to you?"

He looked where Ronon was pointing. "I'd say it's an old cabin or something. Could be worth a look."

Ronon nodded and they changed directions. When they got to the little cabin, they stopped. "McKay, are you reading any energy readings or picking up any life-signs?"

Rodney got out his life-signs detector. "No. Nothing. There's nothing of interest in…whoah. Hold on. I am picking up an energy reading. I think it's come kind of shield…it's coming from inside the cabin."

John looked at Ronon. "Keep your eyes open." He glanced back at Kira. "That goes for you too, Holt. Stay close to McKay." "Yes, sir."

Sheppard and Ronon moved toward the cabin. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. It was just a little log cabin that seemed to have been abandoned years ago.

John opened the door and walked in. The floor was made of dirt, but there was a rug in the middle of the room. John walked into the cabin and started to inspect the area.

Ronon followed and took the other half of the room. McKay and Kira waited at the door just to be sure.

"I don't see anything suspicious in here. Or anything that could warrant a shield. McKay, are you sure you read that-."

Right in the middle of his sentence, he had stepped on the rug and it had given out. They heard breaking boards and looked over to see a huge hole in the floor where the rug had been and no Sheppard.

Ronon ran over to the edge and looked down. It was too black to see anything so he grabbed his flashlight out of his pocket and shined it down into the hole.

Sheppard was lying on the floor about ten feet down. He slowly sat up and looked around. He had fallen into some kind of underground hallway. He looked up at Ronon and had to cover his eyes. As soon as Ronon moved the light so it wasn't shining directly on John, he spoke up.

"Why is it always me who falls through the hole?" Ronon grunted. "You're asking me. You okay?"

John stood up and looked around again. "Yeah, I'm fine. McKay!"

Rodney and Kira appeared the edge of the hole. "Yeah?" "Toss me down your life-signs detector. This hallway oddly resembles Ancient design. I'm going to do some scouting. Kira, go back to the gate and get a rope. We should really start making rope a necessary item on missions."

Kira nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can." "Take your time, Major. I'm in no hurry. Well, right now I'm not."

McKay snorted and tossed Sheppard the LSD. "Okay, I'll be right back. If you hear me yell, go back to the gate. And yes, Ronon, that's an order. Is that clear?"

Ronon grunted, which Sheppard took as a yes and started to make his way down the hallway. He had fallen right at the end of it, so there was really only one direction to go.

The hallway was long and narrow. He reached the other wall and noticed it opened up to another hallway going left. He took it and continued walked towards the energy reading he was picking up. It was getting more and more powerful he got closer.

He came to the end of that hallway and found a door. "Great, a door. I wonder what could be hiding behind it."

He wasn't reading any life-signs, but it was the Pegasus galaxy, anything could happen.

He quickly opened the door and pointed his gun inside, his flashlight on. He slowly entered the room and the lights came on immediately.

He stopped in his tracks. There were ten zpms just laying on lab tables around the room. His eyes widened and his feet seemed to be rooted in place. Had he actually found ten zpms? Rodney was going to have a heart attack from excitement.

He walked around the room, inspecting every inch before returning to the doorway. He hit his com. "Rodney, this is Sheppard. Come in." All he heard was static. He assumed the energy readings must be interfering with the radio.

He took one last look around the room and then made his way back to where he had come through the hole.

Since he had lit up that room, the entire hallway seemed to have come to life with lights. He no longer needed his flashlight.

He walked under the hole and looked up. "You'll never believe what I found. Rodney, you may want to sit down."

SGA

John had suggested they go back to Atlantis and get a science team to check out the zpms, make sure they were okay and safe to bring back to Atlantis, and still had any power.

They walked through the gate. John sent his team to the locker room and then to the infirmary for their post-mission checkup. He went straight up to Elizabeth's office.

He walked in to find Elizabeth sitting at her desk reading mission reports on her laptop. She looked up and saw the look on his face. "Why are you so excited, Colonel?"

"You'll never guess what we came across on that planet."

She closed her laptop and leaned forward. "Why don't you enlighten me, John?"

He smiled. "Well, we were checking out this old cabin. I stepped on a rug, fell through the boards, yada yada, ended up in a hallway of Ancient design. So, I had McKay toss me down his LSD. It was easier than making him jump ten feet. Well, I scouted the hallway and found a door. And behind the door was a room. Filled with zpms. Ten to be exact."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You're serious? You found ten zpms?" He nodded, he could barely contain his excitement. "I suggest we send a science team along with Lorne's team to go check it out and make sure they still have power and everything and then bring them back to Atlantis."

She nodded, "Agreed. I want someone from your team to go along as well to show them where to go." He nodded. "I already figured I'd send Ronon and Rodney. Rodney couldn't stop talking about what we could use them for the entire way back and I know how restless Ronon has been. It'll do him some good to get out again."

"Agreed. Make the order." He nodded and left the room, headed to the infirmary.

"Major Lorne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

"Lorne here. Back already, sir?" He, Nikki, Teyla, and Kanaan had stayed in the mess hall for a while after the team had left. There wasn't much to do that day, so they just sat there and chatted.

Teyla and Nikki looked up at Lorne. They instantly knew he was talking to Sheppard. "Yep, and I have some pretty good news. I'm on my way to the infirmary. Meet me there?"

"Yes, sir, the infirmary, sir? No one got hurt, did they?"

John chuckled. "No, Major. Well, I fell through a hole and landed about ten feet down, but that's normal. Just going for the normal post-mission checkup. Oh, and from here on out, rope will be a necessary item when going off-world."

Lorne chuckled and nodded. "Yes, sir. How did you get out of the hole then, if you don't mind me asking?"

Nikki's eyebrows shot up. He didn't seem worried, actually, he was relaxed still, but John had fallen through a hole? Again?

"Sent Major Holt back to Atlantis for some. Took her a while to get back. I'll explain more when you get here. Oh, and tell Nikki to meet me there as well. I'm sure the four of you are still sitting in the mess hall?"

Lorne sat up straighter. "Um, yes, sir. I'll see you there. Lorne out."

Lorne looked at Nikki. "The team just got back. I guess they found something interesting. The Colonel wants us to meet him in the infirmary. Don't worry, he's only there for his checkup."

She nodded and followed Lorne out of the mess hall.

They walked into the infirmary and saw Carson standing in front of John taking some blood. They walked over to them and John looked up.

"Ah, just the people I wanted to see. I can guarantee neither of you will guess what we found on that planet."

Nikki and Lorne looked at each other. He was clearly excited, so it had to be something good. "Um, I have no idea, sir."

Carson finished up with John. "There ya go, lad. I'm done with you." "Thanks, Carson."

He rolled his sleeve down over his elbow and stood up.

"I'll start at the beginning. Okay, so we walked through about an hour's worth of dense forest before Ronon spotted a little abandoned cabin. I figured it was worth checking out, so we made our way over there. Ronon and I went in because McKay picked up an energy reading. Well, nothing seemed out of the ordinary inside, until I stepped on a rug in the middle of the room that was covering some boards. I fell through and landed about ten feet, and yes, Nikki, I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes, but waited for him to continue. "I landed in a hallway that looked Ancient, so I had Rodney toss me his LSD so I could check it out. I sent Kira back here for some rope, so I had some time to kill. I came across a room at the end of the second hallway. It was filled with zpms. Ten of them."

Nikki's mouth dropped. "You're kidding, right?" He shook his head and his face lit up. "Nope! Lorne, you and your team will be accompanying a science team to go check it out. Ronon and McKay are going with you to show you where it is." Lorne nodded. "Yes, sir! I'll get my team ready."

He left the infirmary and Nikki looked up at John. "I'm going on that science team." He looked down at her. "No, you're not. We only checked out a small portion of that planet. Anything could still go wrong and I'm not willing to put our child in danger when there are plenty of scientists who are more than capable of going there, fetching a few zpms, and coming back. And don't say they'll screw it up. McKay is going and so is Zalenka. And, if anything happens to them while they're gone, we'll need a genius here to save the day while they're away."

She rolled her eyes, but saw his point. Not all three of the top scientists should go on the same mission and she was pregnant. Going off-world probably wasn't the smartest decision.

"Okay, fine. But you're going to make it up to me later."

He grinned and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into him. "You've got a deal, Dr. Teagan." He kissed her cheek and led them out of the infirmary.

They waited in Elizabeth's office for the team to come back with the zpms. They were too anxious to do anything else or be too far away from the gate room.

The gate activated the team came through. They rushed out of Elizabeth's office with Dr. Weir right behind them. They went down the stairs into the gate room and met Zalenka. He looked thrilled.

"All of them but three are at full power. Two of the three are at half power and the other one is completely dead. But, we have seven fully charged zpms at our disposal. It will only take two of them to get the city to full power."

Nikki was practically vibrating with excitement. Elizabeth looked up at John as Nikki followed the scientists to the labs. "Good job, John. Now we can have the city in full, working order. And you can expand your search area for bigger quarters."

He nodded his head. A smile was stuck on his face. They had gotten really lucky today.


	15. Welcome To The Family

Chapter 15

After John filled out the paperwork for the mission, he went back to his quarters. He was sure Nikki would be in the lab until who knew when.

She was exactly like Rodney when it came to research and projects. Their project now was to connect two of the zpms into Atlantis and then get the city back to full working order.

He had been as excited as everyone else, but the exhaustion was starting to get to him. It'd been a long day and all he wanted to do was crawl into bed with Nikki and go to sleep.

Right now, he would just have to settle for crawling into bed and going to sleep.

Right before he walked to his bed, he remembered that he still needed to send Dave an e-mail. He hadn't sent him one in a couple of weeks.

He didn't really talk about much in the e-mail. He told his brother that everything was fine, he was alive, Nikki was okay. He did throw in the story about how Kira came into their lives. He figured that would make the e-mail more interesting.

He ended it by saying that maybe he'd be able to go to Earth soon. He wanted to see his brother and his family. He had missed them since they had left Atlantis. He and Dave were finally starting to become real brothers again.

John sat back in his chair and thought about everything that was going on. He had two majors under his command now, he was short a person on his team, he was going to be a father, as well as an uncle. He sighed. There was so much going on around Atlantis.

Teyla was having a baby and she was happy with Kanaan. Ronon finally had a girlfriend and seemed to be pretty happy with her. Rodney and Jennifer didn't seem to be having any problems. Every time he saw them they were like two love birds.

He thought about Nikki and the baby. He loved her more than he thought he was capable of. Now that he thought about it…he loved her more than he had ever really loved Nancy. He had never felt this way with his ex-wife.

He remembered his dad pressuring him, always hinting at buying engagement rings and hearing wedding bells. Maybe that had been why he had married her. Or at least a part of it. He had wanted to get his dad off his back and make him happy for once. That was probably the only time he ever made the man happy since his mother had passed away.

After that, he had become damn near impossible to please unless your name was Dave and you did every little thing his father wanted.

He sighed again and rubbed his hands over his face. He couldn't think like that. He had found out that his father had regretted everything that had happened between them and he was beginning to have a new relationship with his brother. He wouldn't ruin it by bringing up the past.

He sat there and thought about the people he was responsible for on Atlantis. He was responsible for every single person who lived on the base. If anything happened to anyone, it was his responsibility. It could be a pretty big burden sometimes. He was just thankful that Elizabeth helped him carry that burden. And now that he had Nikki, she did as well. And in some ways, Lorne helped by being his second in command.

It was still mostly on his shoulders though. He thought about Lorne again. John had noticed that the major had started to hang around a certain other major an awful lot lately. He had actually started to join them during meals.

Not that he minded Lorne's presence, he loved it. Lorne was a good man and a good friend. He had helped John through a lot and John had helped him out as well. At times they were practically joined at the hip, as Nikki liked to say.

They had started sparring once or twice a week and Lorne had joined him and Ronon on their morning runs.

The man was slowly making his way into their little family.

He smiled at the thought of Lorne and Kira together. He didn't know Holt all that well yet, but she seemed really nice. And Nikki and Alex had warmed right up to her when they had met her.

He decided right then and there that if they decided to be in a relationship, he would support them. They were both majors and there was no rule about dating among similar ranks.

He also knew that they were both mature enough to deal with it appropriately if things were to not work out between them. He knew Lorne well enough to know that he would keep things professional on-duty.

If either of them came to him about it, he would tell them that he was rooting for them. They both deserved to be happy and out here in the Pegasus galaxy, you don't have many choices.

His mind drifted back to Nikki. She was having his baby. He knew that he needed to do the right thing. Not just because she was pregnant, but because he loved her and he could definitely see them lasting and staying together for the rest of their lives. That thought made a smile slip onto his face. The mere idea of spending the rest of his life with her always brought a smile to his face no matter what was going on.

He decided he would talk to Dave about it soon to see what he thought about it. After all, that's what brothers were for, right?

All of a sudden, he remembered that Nikki was supposed to have had an appointment with Jennifer earlier that day about the baby. He wondered how that had gone. He hadn't had a chance to talk to her about it with everything going on.

He didn't know when he would get the chance to either since things were starting to pick up around the city, especially among the scientists.

He finally decided to haul himself up off the chair and collapse onto the bed. He hadn't even taken off his boots, but he was out before he hit the pillow.

SGA

Nikki rubbed her eyes for what seemed like the thousandth time. She had been staring at the computer screen for hours now working on the power modifications and bringing everything online. They hadn't realized how much stuff there was to bring online.

Elizabeth had decided to send the extra zpms back to the SGC minus one. They would keep one extra hidden just in case of emergencies. You never knew what could happen on Atlantis. You could never be too careful.

Rodney yawned and closed his eyes. "Okay, I hate to say this, but how about we all call it a night and start this up again tomorrow."

Nikki nodded and closed her laptop. "I couldn't agree more."

When she wasn't looking, McKay snuck a glance at her belly. Lately it was getting obvious that she was pregnant. He had called it a night more for her and the baby's benefit than his own. He knew that she wouldn't go get some sleep with everyone else still working. He wouldn't have either.

She got up and walked out of the lab. The majority of the scientists followed her out, but Radek and Rodney stayed behind. Rodney rested his head on the table and just sat there for a minute. Zalenka looked over at him as he was shutting down his equipment. "Everything okay, Rodney?"

He sat up and looked at him. "Yeah, everything's fine. Just thinking about things. I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Radek nodded. "Good night, Rodney."

Nikki thought about going back to her own quarters for the night. She figured John was already passed out, but whenever she tried to sleep in her own bed without him, she just couldn't sleep.

She would feel nauseous when she knew John wasn't there with her. It was like the baby knew its father wasn't around and was upset by it. That thought made her smile. It was probably all of those conversations that John loved having with their child.

She walked into his quarters and sure enough John was passed out on the bed. He hadn't even bothered to take off his boots or get undressed. It looked like he had just collapsed onto the bed and went to sleep. Which is probably what he had done.

She took off his boots and socks. She knew he wouldn't really get comfortable if he slept with them on. She got ready for bed herself and then crawled onto the bed and snuggled up to the sleeping form of the father of her child. She still couldn't believe that in that past few months she had traveled to another galaxy with her brother, lived on the lost city of Atlantis, met the man of her dreams and fell in love with him, got pregnant with his child, and met her long lost twin.

It just seemed so bizarre to her. Now she knew how John felt having lived here for a lot longer than she had. He expected bizarre things to happen. He had gotten used to it. They pretty much all had at this point.

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep with her last thoughts of the man snoring softly beside her.

SGA

The next morning, Nikki woke up to the sound of running water in the bathroom. She slowly opened her eyes and realized John wasn't on the bed anymore. The water stopped and a few minutes later, he walked out with a towel wrapped around his waist.

He walked over to his dresser and found his clothes for the day. He got dressed and then went back into the bathroom and try to tame his wild hair.

A few minutes later, he walked out again and she could smell his aftershave all the over on the bed. She smiled when he stopped and looked over at her, noticing that she was awake.

A smile appeared on his face and he walked over to her side of the bed. He sat down and started playing with her hair. "Sleep well?"

She nodded and leaned into John's touch. She loved it when he played with her hair.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Oh! I didn't get a chance to ask you yesterday how the appointment with Keller went."

She sat up and leaned against the wall. "It got cancelled. A few people had come in with some kind of sickness and Jennifer decided it was best to reschedule."

He nodded and leaned back against the wall as well. "Good. I don't want you getting sick. Or the baby." She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. She loved it when he got a little protective of them.

"When did you reschedule for?"

She looked at the clock on the nightstand and sighed. "The appointment is in an hour."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'll be able to go now. So that's good news." She smiled and looked up at him. He looked down and met his lips with hers. When they pulled away they were both smiling. Reluctantly, she got up and started to get ready for the day.

Forty minutes later, they were walking out the door and on their way to the infirmary.

They walked into the infirmary right on time for the appointment. They walked into Jennifer's office and found her staring at her laptop. She looked up as they entered and smiled. "Ah, just on time! Why don't you have a seat in the back and we'll take a look."

They made their way to the back of the infirmary and Jennifer pulled a privacy curtain around them. No one needed to see the family as they got their first glimpse of their new child.

Nikki sat down on the infirmary bed as Jennifer got everything ready that she needed. John stood on the other side of the bed with his hands resting on her shoulders. She was really glad he had been able to come with her.

This was the first time they'd be seeing their child. She wanted him to be able to see it too. She was really excited to see the baby on the sonogram, but she was also really scared. Her entire life she had never wanted kids. She always told herself that she wasn't going to get married, settle down, and have kids. If she did get married, she wouldn't really settle down somewhere. She would want to keep traveling and doing what she did.

She had never wanted to be tied down with roots like you would be with kids. She never liked babysitting when she was a teenager. All the other girls her age would be making money by babysitting. She would be at her part-time job that was optional, but she wanted the money.

The one time she did babysit, it had been a total disaster. The kid hadn't stopped crying the entire time, he refused to eat, refused to sleep, refused to do anything except sit there and cry.

Sufficed to say, she found out real quick that she wasn't good with kids. At all.

She was terrified to become a mother. If she was that terrible with kids back when she was one, how the hell was she going to raise one now?

John felt her growing anxiety and squeezed her shoulders a little bit, letting her know that he was there and that everything was going to be okay.

He too had his worries about becoming a father. He certainly hadn't had the best role model to go by. He didn't want to be anything like his dad. And he was terrified that he was going to turn into just that.

He didn't want his kid to grow up resenting him just like he had done with his own father.

He also knew that no matter what, he had Nikki and that everything was going to be alright as long as they had each other.

Jennifer turned around and smiled at them. "Okay, are you ready?"

Nikki nodded and got all the way on the bed. It was reclined just enough for her to get comfortable and still be able to see what was going on on the screen.

"I'm going to put some of this gel on your stomach. It's going to be a little cold. Could you please lift up your shirt a bit?"

Nikki pulled up her shirt to just below her bra. Jennifer squeezed some gel onto her stomach. She was right. It was pretty cold.

John grabbed a chair and pulled it up beside the bed. He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. He gave her a warm, loving smile, and then looked up at Jennifer.

She pulled the little wand out and pressed it to Nikki's belly. She moved it around a little looking at the screen.

All of a sudden they could hear the tiniest little heartbeat. It made John's chest swell with pride and a huge smile grace his face. The image of their baby came onto the screen.

And then they started to hear a second noise. Nikki looked up at Jennifer. "What's that?"

Jennifer typed a few things on the keyboard and moved the wand around a little more. She turned and looked at the couple. "It looks like your baby is health. Both of them."

John froze and looked at her. "Wait. Did you say both of them?" Keller smiled and nodded. She looked up at the screen and pointed out where both heads were. And then John realized that the second noise they heard was the heartbeat of their second child.

"Colonel, Nikki, you're having twins."

Nikki's eyes widened and she looked at John. His eyes were just as wide and he looked back at her. They stared at each other for a second before a huge grin split across his face. He stood up and kissed her right on the mouth in front of Jennifer.

Nikki was still in shock when they broke away. She looked back at Keller. "We're having twins?" Jennifer smiled and nodded. "When a woman who is a twin has a baby, the chances that she'll have twins herself is greatly increased. After we met Kira, I wondered if you would have twins yourself or not. I'll let you get cleaned up and give you a few minutes of privacy."

Dr. Keller left the little corner in the back of the infirmary. As soon as she walked out, Nikki turned to look at John. She could see his happiness. She felt it spread through her and warm every inch of her.

She just knew that everything was going to be okay as long as they were together. She got the gel off of her stomach and sat up. "Wow. Two babies. John, we're not only going to have one child of our own…we're going to have two."

He nodded and looked at her seriously. "I know. And I can't wait. It's going to be scary having two since we're first time parents, but we have each other and we're surrounded by family. What more could we ask for?"

She smiled at him and nodded. "You're right. I guess I'm still in shock!"

He chuckled. "Me too. Believe me."

SGA

They walked into the mess hall for lunch later that day. They got their food and made their way over to their table. They had decided to tell their friends at lunch when they saw them. Besides, John didn't think he could keep a handle on his excitement.

They sat down and started to eat their food. John just couldn't wipe that damn grin off his face no matter what! He tried thinking about other things that would surely piss him off, but it just wasn't working!

Ronon set down his sandwich and eyed his friend. "Okay, Shep, spill."

John looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Chewie?" Ronon rolled his eyes at the nickname. "You know what I'm talking about. Ever since you walked in you've had a smile plastered to your face. What's going on?"

John looked at Nikki. She smiled and gave him a nod that told him to go on and tell them. He turned back to his friends. Everyone was there: Rodney, Keller, Ronon, Amelia, Teyla, Kanaan, Lorne, Kira, and Alex.

His smile got slightly larger. "Well, we got some pretty great news today from the amazing doctor over here."

Jennifer blushed and smiled at him. Rodney looked at Jennifer confused, and then back up at John.

"You obviously know that we're going to be parents in a few months…"

They all nodded or grunted their replies. They were all starting to get a little impatient as Sheppard took his time telling them what was going on. He was building a little bit of suspense.

"Well, we found out today that we're having twins." It took a second for the information to sink in. When it did, smiles erupted on all of their faces. Ronon and Lorne cheered and high-fived each other. Teyla, Amelia, and Kira got all girly with Nikki and started talking to her about it.

Alex slapped Sheppard on the back and smiled at him. "Congratulations, John. By the way, I don't have to give you the whole, 'You better treat my sister right otherwise I'll kick your ass. Same goes for her kids' speech, do I? Not that I could kick your ass even if I wanted to…"

John chuckled. "No, you don't. I would never hurt your sister. And as for her kids, they're my kids too, and like hell I would ever hurt them. But, if I did hurt them, I would let you kick my ass. And I would make Lorne and Ronon let you kick my ass."

Alex smiled and nodded. "Well! That's settled then!" John smiled and looked at his friends. Rodney was still in shock. "Wow, Sheppard! Twins? Good luck!" John rolled his eyes. "Thanks, McKay. You too."

He raised an eyebrow. "You'll be babysitting from time to time, Uncle Rodney."

Rodney's eyes widened and he looked at Jennifer. She burst into laughter at the look on Rodney's face. "Oh this I have to see!"

Rodney rolled his eyes, but smiled at her. Kanaan looked at John. He extended his hand to him. John took it and shook his hand. "Congratulations, Colonel Sheppard. You will make an excellent father, I'm sure." John smiled and blushed slightly. "Thanks." Kanaan nodded his head once and then went back to observing like he usually did. He never was one for much conversation.

John looked over at Evan. Lorne looked up and he smiled at his commanding officer. "I'll be more than happy to lend you my babysitting services from time to time, Colonel."

"That would be much appreciated. Uncle Evan." Lorne froze for a second and looked confused. John smiled as the table got a little quieter than it had been.

Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Kira, and Alex were the only ones paying attention to John and Lorne's conversation.

"Sir?" John looked at his second in command. "You're part of the family now, Lorne. When we're off-duty, use my name, not my rank. This little group of ours is a like a little adopted family and you're the new member. Well, you and Kira." He smiled at Kira when she looked at him.

"That means a lot, si-Sheppard." John looked back at Lorne and his smile grew. "There you go! See! Not so bad!" Evan laughed and looked around at his new family. He fit right in with their little group and he loved being around them every day. It was his favorite part of the day. Well, that and when he got to spend time with Kira.

Evan sat there thinking about everything that was going on around him. His friends were celebrating the news that John and Nikki were having twins. Not only were they becoming parents and just falling in love with each other, they were going to have two babies right off the bat. He couldn't be more happy for Sheppard. He practically vibrated with happiness.

Evan hadn't seen him that happy since he and Nikki had just started dating.

He looked at his commanding officer. They had grown really close in the past few weeks. He didn't have too many friends on Atlantis. Sure, he had some amongst the other military, but not any real close friends. He found it difficult to really open up to people.

But he had started to open up to Sheppard and Sheppard had done the same with him. Everyone knew how much the Colonel was a private man. He didn't open up to just anyone.

He had heard Nikki say once that it was like they were becoming joined at the hip. He could believe it. When Sheppard wasn't with Nikki, off-world with his team, or in meetings, he was with Lorne.

John had told him about his strained relationships with his family. Evan couldn't help but notice the tension when his brother Dave had been there. Everyone had noticed it, but no one was brave enough to ask.

Sheppard had confided in him that he had lost his mother when he was nine-years-old. After that, his dad didn't care about his happiness as long as he was working for his company and doing what he wanted him to do. And because of that, him and Dave always fought.

It hadn't been until Dave had been in the coma when they finally started to mend their relationship.

Evan had felt bad for his friend. He knew Sheppard took it hard.

A few days ago, he had overheard a conversation between Nikki and Kira. They had been talking about him and Sheppard. Nikki had told her that John was starting to get really close to Lorne. He had told her that he was starting to feel like a brother to the man. That information had hit Lorne hard and shocked him. He hadn't realized until then just how much their friendship meant to John. And what it meant to him.

He didn't have any brothers or sisters, but now that he was getting closer to Sheppard, he felt like he did.

He turned and looked at Kira. She smiled up at him the way she always does when he looked at her.

He was starting to get attached to her, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how Sheppard would react to him dating Kira. She was in the military and she was Nikki's sister. He decided to talk to John about it later.

John noticed Evan's far-off look. He had been staring at the wall for a few minutes now with a serious look on his face.

Sheppard stretched his leg out and kicked out lightly to get his attention without everyone at the table automatically listening in.

Lorne's attention snapped into focus and he looked over at Sheppard. John raised an eyebrow at him, but stayed silent. Lorne snorted and rolled his eyes. He had been caught spacing out.

John gave him a look telling him they'd talk later. Lorne nodded slightly and went back to listening to everyone's conversations.

SGA

After lunch, John kissed Nikki good-bye and headed for his office. He was going to come up with some excuse to give Elizabeth to let him go back to Earth so he could talk to his brother. He hadn't told him that Nikki was pregnant yet. He wanted to do that in person.

He walked into his office and sat down. He started on some paperwork, but didn't get through the first file before there was a knock on the door.

John looked up and saw Evan standing in the doorway. John smiled and waved him in. He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair.

Lorne crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from the desk. John sensed his discomfort.

"So, what's on your mind, Lorne? What was going on back in the mess hall?"

Lorne sighed. It was now or never. He looked up at Sheppard. "I need to talk to you about something. I'm not sure how you'll take it, sir, but I need to get it off my chest. So…off the record?"

John nodded and gestured for him to continue. "Well, the thing is…it's Kira, sir. I feel like we're starting to become more than friends, and I don't know what to do about it. She's military and we're out here, and I didn't know what to do."

John gave the major a half-smile. "You know, it's funny. Just last night I was thinking about what I was going to say if we ever had this conversation…"

Lorne's eyebrows furrowed. Was it really that obvious? John chuckled. "I've noticed for a while now that you two have gotten closer. And last night I decided that if you were to ever come talk to me about it, I would tell you to go for it and that I'm supporting you. I don't know about Nikki, but you know her. She'll want the two of you to be happy."

Lorne's mind was blown. "But, sir, what about regulations?" "Evan, you're both majors. There are no regulations saying that two people of the same or similar ranks can't be together. And even if there were, I wouldn't report it. If the SGC ever asked me about it, I would deny it or ever knowing about it. You see, major, we're out in the middle of a galaxy that isn't even ours. We're fighting a battle that isn't ours to fight. Our families are light years away from us. In my opinion, we deserve to all be happy. And if you and Kira being together makes you happy, then I am sitting here telling you to man up and go for it."

Lorne chuckled and looked down at his hands. "That can be difficult, sir."

John snorted and nodded. "Tell me about it! Ronon threatened me to tell Nikki himself that I liked her before I made any kind of move. He kept telling me to man up and I finally did. So now I'm telling you to. Do what makes you happy, Evan. Nothing less."

Lorne looked up at Sheppard. He was surprised he was so cool with all of this. "Thank you, Colonel. That means a lot."

John smiled and nodded. "I know the feeling. I expect you to keep things professional while on-duty and try your damnedest not to let it interfere with your work. If you can do that, which I know you can, than I completely support you. Those are my conditions. I don't think that's too bad."

Evan nodded and couldn't keep the smile that was slowly growing on his face. "Thank you, sir. You won't regret it!" "Of course I won't. You'll be happy. If you're happy, my teams happy, Nikki's happy, then I'm happy. If I'm happy, Elizabeth is happy. And if she is happy, than Atlantis is happy. It's one big circle."

Evan nodded. "Yes, sir. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get the girl."

A smile split across John's face. "You do that, Lorne. Good luck and go get her."

Lorne's face was practically glowing as he stood up and left the office. Everything had gone far better than he had thought! He was on his way to the happiness that Sheppard had. He could just feel it.


	16. You've Been Busy

Chapter 16

John walked into Elizabeth's office. He had made up his mind about what he was going to tell her in order to go back to Earth. She looked up at him as he walked in.

He sat down in the chair across from her desk. "Elizabeth, Nikki and I need to go to Earth for a couple of days. There are some things that we need to do and we can't do them on Atlantis."

She sat back in her chair. "For how long?" "I just need forty-eight hours, and then I'll be back."

Elizabeth contemplated the pros and cons of John going to Earth for a couple of days. She didn't really see the harm in it and it seemed like he really needed to. "Okay, our weekly dial-in with Earth is in one hour. If you're ready by then, you can go through."

He smiled and stood up. "Thank you, Elizabeth!"

She smiled and watched him practically run out of the room.

He ran all the way to Nikki's office. He knew she'd be there and they only had an hour before they were going to be walking through the stargate.

He slowed his pace right before he got to her lab and slowed his breathing. He didn't want to worry her by coming in out of breath.

He walked into the lab and saw her sitting in front of her laptop typing away at something.

She looked up when she heard a noise at the door. She smiled when she saw who it was standing there.

He approached her and wrapped his arms around her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!" He smiled into her hair and pulled her a little closer. He breathed in the smell of her. He loved her perfume.

"John, is everything okay?" He pulled away just slightly and looked into her eyes. "Everything is fine. I just came by to let you know that we're going back to Earth for a couple of days. I just have a couple of things I need to do on Earth and I want you to come with me."

She frowned, but nodded. "Anything I should know about?" His smile widened a bit. "I'll tell you everything later. Right now we have an hour to get ready before we leave and I have a few things to discuss with Lorne first. So, we need to get going."

She nodded and then tilted her head up so she could reach his lips. Their lips met and they stayed that way for a few minutes. Rodney walked in and didn't even realize what was going on.

"So, I had an idea. What if we…Oh…Sheppard. What are you doing here?"

John turned towards Rodney with a slight scowl on his face. "I just came by to let Nikki we're leaving. So whatever idea you had, it'll have to wait for a couple of days."

"Rodney;s eyebrows furrowed. "Where are you going?"

"We're leaving the lab."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Well yes, right now you're leaving the lab. But are you going off-world?"

John smirked. "Yes, Rodney, we're going off-world. We'll be back in a couple of days. We'll see you when we get back."

He didn't wait for Rodney's response and they left the lab. He reached up and hit his com. "Lorne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

He walked down the corridor headed to his quarters. "This is Lorne."

"Meet me in my quarters. We have a few things to discuss. Sheppard out."

Lorne looked up at Kira. "I have to meet the Colonel in his quarters. I'll see you tonight?"

She smiled at him, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek. "See you tonight."

He blushed slightly and headed for the Colonel's quarters. It was on odd place to meet him, but hey. What the Colonel says goes.

John got back to his quarters and started packing while Nikki had gone to hers to pack her own bag. He was almost done when his door chimed. He walked over and opened the door. Lorne was standing in the doorway. "Lorne. Come on in."

Lorne walked into the room and watched as Sheppard walked back to his bed and finished packing. "What is it that you wanted to discuss, sir?"

He turned and smiled at Lorne. "I'm off-duty at the moment, Lorne. Sit down."

Evan walked over to the chair and sat down. He looked up as Sheppard zipped up his bag and set it by the door. "I'm going back to Earth for a couple of days. I have some things I need to take care of."

"Dave's okay, right?" John smiled and sat on the edge of his bed. "Yeah, he's fine. I haven't told him about Nikki being pregnant yet, and I want to do that in person. And…well…between you and me?"

Evan nodded. "Well, I'm going to buy an engagement ring." Evan's face lit up. "You're going to propose? That's awesome, Sheppard! Congratulations!"

John smirked and looked down at his hands. "Thanks, but congratulate me when she says yes."

"She will. That's obvious. Only someone who is blind and deaf wouldn't know the answer."

John looked up at his friend and smiled. "Thanks, Lorne. So, since I'll be gone, you're in charge. I don't want McKay or Ronon going on missions until I get back. They're both as much disaster-prone as the two of us are and I'd rather be with them if something happened."

Lorne nodded and made a mental note not to let either of them go off-world. "There are some teams off-world right now. They're not due back until tomorrow or later tonight, I believe. While I'm gone, don't send any teams out for missions unless it's necessary. If something goes wrong, I want to be here."

Lorne smiled. "I won't. You don't have to worry about anything while you're gone. I'll keep the place in working order for when you get back."

John nodded. "Oh! One more thing." He smiled and watched Lorne's face. "Did you get the girl?"

Lorne blushed slightly and John took that as a yes. "So, when's the first date?" Lorne blushed again before smiling. "Tonight. I haven't decided what I'm going to do though…"

"You could take her to the mainland. Maybe take a stroll along the beach? Have a candlelit dinner under the stars or something? If she's anything like Nikki, she'll love it. Teyla has some pretty good ideas about dates, trust me. If you need some help, go ask her. You know she'd love to help."

"What did you do for your first date with Nikki?" John smiled as he remembered their first date. "We took a jumper underwater to a coral reef just east of the mainland. I laid the jumper down on the bed of the ocean with a really nice view of the coral and the fish. I closed the compartment doors and laid a blanket down against them. We sat against the doors facing the ocean and had a picnic with wine. She loved it."

Lorne smiled. It sounded really romantic and not at all like Sheppard. He nodded and thought about what he could do. John glanced down at his watch and frowned. "Well, I have to get going to the gate room. Walk with me and we'll talk more."

They left the room and made their way to the gate room. Sheppard filled him in on tests he would need to supervise for the scientists and a couple of meetings he would have to attend.

They got to the gate room a few minutes early. "Well, take care of her for me."

Lorne smiled. "The city or Nikki?" John smiled. "The city. Nikki's coming with me."

Nikki took that moment to walk into the gate room and stood next to the men. She smiled up at both of them.

"I will, Sheppard. She will be just fine while you're gone. Just take care of what you need to." Lorne's smile widened just a little. "Oh, and good luck finding what you're looking for."

John nodded. "Thanks. I think I'll need it." "Incoming wormhole!"

The three of them turned to look at the gate. The chevrons locked and the wormhole engaged. "Receiving IDC. It's the SGC, Dr. Weir."

Dr. Weir's voice could be heard from the gateroom. "Lower the shield and open a channel….This is Dr. Weir. May I speak to General O'Neill please?"

There was a moment of silence before Colonel Carter's voice came over the radio. "This is Colonel Carter. He's on his way down."

"Thank you, Colonel." They waited for a few minutes before the General's voice came over the radio. "O'Neill here. What can I do for you, Dr. Weir?"

"If it's okay with you, I'm sending two people through the gate. They have some business to attend to on Earth and will be returning in a couple of days."

"Fine by me. Send them through as well as the data report." "Here they come, sir, and we're sending the data stream now. We'll disengage as soon as you receive."

Sheppard looked back at Lorne. "Well, Evan, I'll see you in a couple of days. Be good." Lorne chuckled and nodded. "I will, Sheppard. And you too." John laughed and nodded. "Oh, I'll try. Believe me."

They walked through the gate and emerged in the SGC. Jack O'Neill was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. "Sheppard! I wasn't expecting to see you here! And Nikki! It's a pleasure to…" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the obvious baby bump. He looked back at Sheppard as they reached the bottom of the ramp. "Well, you've been busy."

John blushed and nodded. "Yes, sir. I hope it isn't a problem, sir?"

Jack smiled and looked from Sheppard to Nikki and then back again. "No problem at all. She's not military, so there's no rules. It is yours…right?"

Nikki chuckled and looked at John. "Yes, sir, the baby is his."

John blushed again and looked at Nikki. Their eyes met for a second before he turned back to O'Neill. "I have some business I need to attend to with my brother. Any way I could get a ride?"

Jack nodded and walked out of the gate room. "I'll get Mitchell to get a ride for the two of you. Who knows, he may just drive himself knowing him."

Nikki looked up at John and smiled. It was nice being back on Earth under good circumstances. He smiled down at her and then looked up as someone crashed into him.

John and the man who had run into him hit the opposite wall. "What the hell?" John turned to look at the man who was pinning him to the wall. Colonel Cameron Mitchell's eyes met his. "Oh! Sorry, Sheppard. The Lt. and I were just playing this game and it got a little out of…you know what, nevermind. So, you're back again?"

John nodded and twisted uncomfortably. "Yeah. On good terms this time. Um…Cam? Could you get off me now?"

Mitchell looked down as if just realizing he was still pinning Sheppard to the wall. "Oh. Right. Sorry about that." He stepped back and smiled at the man. "So! What brings you back to good ole Earth?"

John stepped away from the wall. "There's some business I need to attend to with my brother. We'll be gone in a couple of days."

Mitchell turned around and saw Nikki standing there. "Oh! Dr. Teagan! I see you're making a habit of accompanying the good Colonel here back to Earth."

Nikki smiled and nodded. She wasn't quite sure what to say. John stepped up next to her and that's when Mitchell noticed the baby bump. "Oh." He looked between Nikki and John. He saw the look of love that passed between the two when their eyes met.

So, they were a couple and expecting a baby…huh. Things sure had changed since the last time he had seen them.

"Well, congratulations! Boy or girl?" Nikki smiled up at Mitchell. Her face was practically glowing. "We don't know the sex yet, but we're hoping for both, I think."

Mitchell's eyebrows furrowed as did Jack's. O'Neill stepped into the conversation. "Both?"

John nodded and smiled. "Yes, sir. We're having twins." Both Jack's and Mitchell's eyes widened as they looked back and forth between the couple.

Jack was the first to regain his composure. "Twins? Wow. Well, congratulations. And good luck. So, Colonel, you'll be in charge of an entire base and the lucky father of twins. How exciting."

John smirked and nodded. "Yes, sir. It should be interesting." Mitchell laughed. "You got that right. Whenever you're on Earth with the little ones, I'll be more than happy to babysit!"

John rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Thanks, Mitchell. Um…you mind if we end this session early? We kind of have things we need to take care of."

Jack chuckled and looked at Mitchell. "And that's where you come in, Cam. You're going to take them where they need to go. Have fun, you three."

SGA

A couple of hours later, Mitchell was pulling up Dave's driveway. John had used the new cell phone he'd been given to call Dave to make sure he was home and that it was okay if they came by.

When Cam stopped the car, he turned around to look at John and Nikki. "My number's in that phone you got, as is Jack's. If you need anything, let one of us know."

John nodded as he opened up the door. "Thanks, Cam. I appreciate it. I'll see you in a couple of days." He walked around to the trunk and got their bags as Nikki got out of the car. She shut the door and they made their way up to the house as Cam backed out of the driveway and drove away.

John set the bags down on the ground and rang the doorbell. It took a couple of minutes, but then the door opened and Becca was standing there. Her face lit up when she saw the two of them standing there.

"Nikki! John! It's so nice to see you! Please, come in, come in!"

Nikki walked into the house as John picked up their bags and followed. Becca shut the door behind him and turned to face them. "Dave mentioned you'd be coming, but he didn't say when. I'm so glad you came! So, what brings you back to Earth?"

John set the bags down at the bottom of the stairs and turned to Becca. "There are some things I needed to take care of. I figured Dave could help me out a bit." Becca smiled and nodded. He's in his office. I'll take you there and then show Nikki where you two will be staying."

He nodded, "Thanks, we really appreciate all of this."

Becca waved him off. "You're family, John. Both of you are. That's what family does."

Nikki's smile grew when Becca called her family. She wasn't even married to John and they considered her family. She wondered how they would react to finding out she was pregnant.

They followed her down the hall. She stopped. "This is Dave's office. Just go on in and I'll show Nikki around."

John nodded and then stepped into the office. Dave was on the phone with a client. He looked up when the door opened and smiled when he saw his brother. He waved him in and gestured for him to sit down.

"Yes, I understand. No, I'm not going to…No. Because I don't run my business like that. Okay. I'm going to have to call you tomorrow. Because something came up and I have to let you go. Yes, I do care about this business, but I am busy and it can wait until tomorrow. Good night."

He hung up the phone and rolled his eyes at it. "Clients, I swear."

John chuckled and looked at his big brother. He was a good businessman. A hell of a lot better one than he would have been, that's for sure.

"John! It's good to see you. So, not that I'm complaining or anything, but why is it that you're back on Earth?"

John smiled. Right to the point. "I needed to talk to you about some things. I figured it was best to do it in person and not over an e-mail."

Dave nodded and sat back in his chair. "Well, a big reason I came is so I can buy a ring for Nikki."

Dave just looked at him for a moment before it really sunk in. He sat up and leaned forward. "You're going to propose?"

John smiled and looked down. "Yeah. I love her, Dave." The room was silent. John didn't know how to take that until he looked up to see that Dave's face was practically glowing. He jumped up and moved around the desk. He stood in front of John and held out his hand.

John accepted it, but instead of shaking, Dave pulled him up and brought him into a hug. "I'm so happy for you, John! It's about time that you were really happy with someone. And you picked someone perfect for you. I definitely approve, and I know that Becca will as well! She wouldn't stop talking about Nikki for the longest time!"

John smiled at his big brother and heaved a sigh of relief. It had gone over way better than he had thought. "So, you're going to go buy her a ring? Do you know what kind or where or your price range?"

John sat back down in the chair as Dave took up the chair next to him. They talked about rings for a few minutes until Dave suddenly thought of something. He stood up and moved over to a safe that was behind his desk. He looked up at John with a serious look on his face before he turned back to the safe.

"Dave, what's going on?"

He opened the safe and stared into it for a moment until he seemed to find what he was looking for. He reached in and pulled out a little box. He closed the safe and then turned to John. Dave walked back over to the chair and sat down slowly.

He looked at the box and then up at John. "This was in Dad's will. The will said that if either of us were to need it, to use it. I didn't think of it until now. I know Dad would want you to have it."

John's eyebrows furrowed together and he sat up straighter. "Dave, what are you talking about?"

Dave looked down at the box and opened it. He stared at what was inside for a minute before turning it so John could see it. John gasped and looked up at his brother. "Mom's ring?"

Dave nodded and a smile slowly slid onto his face. "I'm happy with Becca. I know we'll be together for a long time. And you and Nikki are happy together. This ring brought mom and dad years of happiness. It's only right that you give it to Nikki. I know that it would make Mom happy."

John reached out and took the box from Dave. He stared at the ring for a minute before looking back up. "I don't know what to say…thank you."

Dave smiled. "Well, that's one issue down. What else?"

John closed the box and slid it into his pocket. "I have a proposition for you. You see…when you and your family were on Atlantis, Dr. Beckett got blood samples from each of you. Recently, he got curious and ran a couple of tests to see if you possess a certain gene. This gene is called the ATA gene. It allows certain people to operate special equipment that was made by the Ancients, the ones who built the city. I have a really strong dose of the gene, which is rare. We only know of one other person who has the gene remotely as strong as mine and that's Nikki."

Dave let all of that sink in. "So, then what are you getting at?"

"Dr. Beckett found that you have the gene. So does Becca and the kids. Becca only has a very mild dose of it, but you have it much stronger. Beckett said yours is the third strongest, right under Nikki. The kids have it, but somewhere in between you and Becca."

Dave stared at John for a few minutes before asking his next question. "Okay. So we have this gene. What does that mean? Why are you telling me this?"

John took a deep breath. "Well, we recently found more zpms. They're devices that power our city. They're rare and hard to find and very powerful. We found enough to power the entire city two times over. We're in the process of turning on every system and repairing the ones that aren't quite up to par. I've talked to Elizabeth about this, and, mind you it's still in the early stages of development, but I wanted to talk to you about it before I talk to the SGC."

Dave's eyebrows furrowed and he shook his head. "John, what are you talking about?"

"I came up with the idea to allow those who have families on Earth, to be able to bring them to Atlantis. If their families want to come. We have plenty of room now and it would greatly boost morale. If it's approved, we'll have a school for the children, a daycare for the babies that are going to be born soon, maybe a small church for those who are religious. We'll have a bigger infirmary, more living quarters and recreational areas. The things that can be learned on Atlantis is much greater than what can be learned here.

I…I thought that maybe you, Becca, and the kids, could maybe come live with us. We have scheduled dial-ins with Earth and you can still manage the business from there. You can go back to Earth whenever you need to. Becca and the kids will be safe. Everyone's safety is in my hands, so there won't be some rookie in charge. Before you say no…just…think about it?"

Dave's mouth dropped and his eyes widened. That was a lot of information to take in. He would no longer have to worry about his brother constantly and he could continue to rebuild their relationship. His family would get to experience things that not a lot of people got a chance to. It was a big opportunity for his family.

There was a lot to decide. He looked up at John after a few minutes. "Wow. That's a big decision." John nodded. "I know. And I wouldn't ask it of you if I didn't think it were safe and could be done. It still has to be approved by General O'Neill, but Elizabeth agreed there's a good possibility it will. She thinks it's a good idea."

Dave nodded. It was a good idea. It would certainly do wonders for morale for them to have their families with them. "Give me some time to think about it and talk to Becca. This isn't a decision I can make without her."

John nodded. "I understand. Take your time. That was one reason I came back to Earth. At the end of our two days here, Elizabeth will join me at the SGC and we're going to propose the plan to the general. We'll know soon."

Dave nodded, but then realized he said at the end of our two days here. He had thought it was only him that had come. "Our? Did someone come with you?"

John's eyes widened a tiny bit. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that Nikki came with me. Becca is showing her around now."

Dave smiled and nodded. Of course she had. It would have been odd if she hadn't accompanied him.

"Well, let's go find them. Becca should be about done with supper by now anyway."

They left the office and went in search of the women. They were in the kitchen sitting around the island and talking about first dates.

John walked over to Nikki and wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned into him and smiled up at him. Dave smiled at Nikki. "It's nice to see you again, Nikki. It's always good to know that someone's been keeping my little brother in line."

Nikki laughed and smiled. "Someone has to. It's nice to you too, Dave."

John looked down at Nikki, "Did you tell her?"

Nikki shook her head and they looked over at Becca and Dave. They both looked confused and exchanged glances. "Is something going on, John?"

Nikki looked up at John and nodded when he silently asked the question. He looked back up at his brother. "Well, now's as good a time as any. Dave, Becca…we're having a baby."

Becca's face lit up and she starting jumping up and down with happiness. Dave's eyes widened and his face started to glow with happiness for his little brother. He made a mental note to ask him later if that was the reason why he was going to propose or if he really just wanted to marry her. He figured it was the later, but you never knew these days.

"Congratulations! Boy or girl?" John chuckled a little. "Well, possibly both. We're having twins."

Becca got even more excited and ran around the island and hugged Nikki. John had stopped back to give the two room, but Becca pulled John into the hug. "Oh my goodness! I'm so excited for you two! How far along are you?"

"About three months." Becca was still practically jumping for joy. "Oh my goodness I'm so excited! Having a baby is amazing. You're going to be such a wonderful mom, I just know it!"

Nikki's face lit up and she blushed slightly. "Thanks." Dave shook John's hand. "Congratulations, little brother. You're going to be a dad! Wow. There's so much information for one visit!"

John laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I was wanted to tell you when we found out, but I thought it'd be best to tell you in person with news like this."

Dave nodded. "Definitely. This is huge! Let's celebrate!"

They spent the next few hours celebrating the new arrivals into the family. The kids were at a basketball game, so they didn't have to worry about them. Nikki and Becca were exchanging stories and Becca was giving her pregnangy advice.

John and Dave stepped out onto the balcony. "So, are you doing it because it's the right thing or are you doing it because you really love her?"

John looked over at Dave. "I really love her, Dave. Even if she hadn't gotten pregnant, I would still be asking her. I can see us spending the rest of our lives together. Hell, I don't know if I could survive not spending the rest of my life with her."

Dave chuckled and nodded. "I know what you mean." He gave John a little advice for being a new dad and then they went back into the living room. John could tell that Nikki was getting tired. He made an excuse for them to go to bed. They said their good nights and went to the guest room they were occupying.

Nikki got ready for bed, but John sat down and watched Nikki for a few minutes. She finally looked over at him and smiled. "Why are you watching me?"

He smiled and shook his head. He looked down at his hands, deep in thought. She walked over to him and put her hands on his shoulders. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He looked up at her and his eyes were filled with so much love it almost overwhelmed her. "Nothing is wrong. I have you."

Her face lit up and she pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes. He pulled her down onto his lap and put his face into the side of her neck. They stayed that way for a few minutes before he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Nikki, I love you. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. You have made me so happy in the time that we've been together. You can be a real pain in the ass, but I love that. You're not intimidated by my rank or position and that turns me on." Nikki giggled and her face started to glow.

"I don't remember being this happy since my mom died. You gave me back that happiness. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have you, Nikki. And now, to make things even better, you're having my kids. Not just one, either. You're having two of them. You're making me a father and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. I never thought I would ever have kids because of my lifestyle, but thanks to you I can.

I always wanted them, but never thought I'd be able to stay in one place long enough. Now that I have you, I'd stay anywhere you wanted. I'd go anywhere you went. You're home to me now, Nikki, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Her eyes started to widen as she realized where he was going with this. Was he really going where she thought he was?

He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He handed it to her and wrapped his arms back around her waist. She looked from him down to the box. She opened it and gasped when she saw the beautiful ring inside.

It was a simple ring, but very beautiful. It had a silver band with a blue diamond. There were three smaller regular diamonds on each side of the blue one. She hadn't seen a ring as beautiful as this one. She looked up at John. His eyes showed every emotion he was feeling: happiness, adoration, commitment, love.

"This is my mother's ring. This ring brought many years of happiness for her and my father. I hoped that it could do the same for us. Nikki, will you marry me?"

She didn't know what to say. She was overwhelmed with happiness. She started crying, she couldn't talk. All she could do was nod. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

She giggled and leaned back slightly. "I would love to, John. I don't ever want to be without you. It's hard to imagine my life before I met you. I can't imagine what life would be like without. I would be honored to marry you, Colonel."

His smile lit his entire face. His lips crashed down on hers. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed.

For next while, they made love to each other celebrating their love for each other, the coming arrival of their children, and becoming a family.


	17. Things Don't Always Go As Planned

**Chapter 17**

The next morning, John woke up to the smell of coffee. He opened his eyes and realized that Nikki had already gotten up and left the room. He rolled over and looked at the clock. It was later than he usually slept.

John grunted as he rolled out of bed and got dressed. He walked out into the kitchen to find Nikki helping Becca cook breakfast while Dave sat at the table reading the newspaper. Dave looked up from reading when he heard John walk in.

"Good morning, John. Sleep well?" "Yeah, better than I have in a while, actually."

He stifled a yawn and Dave chuckled and went back to reading. He walked over to Nikki and gave her a quick kiss before heading over to the table with a mug of steaming coffee.

Becca looked over at Nikki. "Nikki, could you hand me the…oh my god." Nikki looked up at her with a confused look on her face. John and Dave looked over at them. Becca froze and was staring at Nikki's hand. She looked up at Nikki. "Is that what I think it is?"

Nikki's eyebrows furrowed and she looked down at her hand. Becca was pointing at the ring that John had proposed to her with last night. She blushed and looked back up at Becca. She nodded and smiled. Becca's face immediately lit up and she whipped around to look at John.

His eyebrows furrowed together as well. He wasn't up long enough to really understand what she was talking about. "John Sheppard! Why didn't you tell us?"

He looked over at Dave, but he shrugged and shook his head. He didn't know either. "Tell you what?"

Becca rolled her eyes. She grabbed Nikki's hand and showed them the ring on her finger. Realization dawned on both Dave and John. Becca saw the realization dawn on her husband's face and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You knew, didn't you?" Dave looked at John with an expression that read, "Help me!"

John jumped to his rescue. "I told him last night before we celebrated. That's how I got the ring. He gave it to me. I proposed to her after we went to bed last night. With everything that happened last night, it probably just slipped his mind. I don't blame him. We kind of unloaded a lot of information on you guys last night."

Dave seemed to be holding his breath. Becca rolled her eyes, but the smile returned to her face. She let go of Nikki's hand and turned to face her. "Well, congratulations! There seems to be a lot of that happening lately! So! Tell me. How did he do it?"

Nikki dove into the story about how he proposed while John and Dave started talking quietly about the conversation they had had in the office the day before.

"So, I talked to Becca about it last night." John looked up from his coffee. "She wants to. She was so excited to finally be able to get to know you again and to meet Nikki. Being on Atlantis for that short time had her on cloud nine. Well, once I was out of the coma she was on cloud nine."

John chuckled and nodded. He remembered how excited Becca and the kids had been to be on Atlantis. He had shown them around. He had even let the kids sit in on a sparring lesson or two.

"She definitely wants to go back. She isn't working since I make enough money and so she can take care of the kids. I think she gets a little bored around here."

John snorted. "I can imagine why. Being in a big house all by yourself all day everyday would get pretty boring. I don't know how she survives."

Dave chuckled and nodded. John had always been the type to have to do something. He couldn't just sit around all day. He had been that way his entire life.

"We still have to talk to the kids about it, but we decided it would be best to do that if it's approved. We don't want to get their hopes up." John nodded. "What about you? What do you think?"

Dave stared down into his own coffee for a minute thinking about how to answer. "John, I just got my brother back. And now I'm going to have a sister-in-law and be an uncle to two beautiful children. I almost died and what did my little brother do? He took me to another galaxy, to an alien city, and saved my life."

He looked up at his little brother and their eyes locked. "I haven't been able to stop dreaming about that city ever since I left. I would love to go back. My partner in the business is more than capable of handling what needs to be done on this end while I'm there. I'll just have to tell him I'm out of the country or something. We had to relocate for some reason, but that it's still my business."

John nodded and took a sip of coffee. Inside, he was practically leaping for joy. His brother and his sister-in-law wanted to come live with him. They wanted to be close to him. He never would have imagined that this would be happening. Not in his wildest dreams.

"Tomorrow morning Elizabeth is coming back so we can talk to the Generals about the idea. Hopefully they'll be able to give us a quick answer. They'll have to talk to the President, the IOA, the Homeworld Security…"

"Homeworld security?" John chuckled. "Yeah, it's homeland security, but for all of Earth. It's to help against the Wraith in case they ever make it this far. Not that they will, it's just a precaution."

That set off warning bells in Dave's head. "The Wraith. What if they attack the city? What if something else happens to the city?" "We have fail-safe systems in place for certain things that could happen. We also have a shield to hold back enemies from getting to the city and destroying it. If we need to, we also have an alpha site where we can relocate everyone on Atlantis. We also have enough power to be able to gate back to Earth in an emergency. If we have to abandon the planet, well, we have ways of doing that and taking the city with us. Don't worry, Dave. The city's safety has been my top priority for years. I've been the commanding military officer since day one practically. Well, day one and minus a few hours when Colonel Sumner was in charge…but that's besides the point."

Dave nodded slowly. He knew that him and his family would be in good hands with his brother in charge. He had talked to some of the men and women under John's command while he had been on Atlantis and he had gotten a sense of the military aspect of his brother.

He had always known his brother inside and out when they were younger. The two of them had shared everything until a few years after their mother had died. They had started to drift when their father had gotten harder on John.

While on Atlantis, he had heard many stories when John had sacrificed his life over and over again to save even one person. He had almost died countless times to save his friends and those he was responsible for.

They told him that he wasn't the usual kind of commander who was tough and hard to get along with. He wasn't one who was very strict and very military-like.

He found out that John was a more laid-back commander. Everyone he had talked to loved being under his command. They couldn't imagine having anyone else be in charge.

Their words really spoke to him about his brother's character and the kind of man he was. He had no idea about the military side of John. And if the plan to move to Atlantis was accepted, he would finally get to see that part of him.

"So, John, I had the idea that we could all go out for supper tonight. It's Friday, so the kids will be at their friend's houses. It'll just be the four of us."

John looked up at Nikki. "What do you think, Nikki?" She looked over at them and smiled. "I think it sounds great. It'll give us a chance to actually get out while we're back."

John smiled and nodded. "I agree." He looked back at Dave. "Looks like it's a plan. Where did you have in mind?"

They discussed their dinner plans until breakfast was ready. They ate together while John and Nikki shared stories about Atlantis. Nikki kept telling them about the embarrassing things that John was subjected to. He would just blush slightly, roll his eyes, and completely deny it.

Dave left for work and Becca mentioned that she needed to do some grocery shopping. "Hey, Nikki, would you want to come with? It would give us time to get to know each other before we become sisters." She had a huge grin on her face when she called them sisters. Nikki looked at John. "Looks like you're on your own, Colonel."

He snorted and looked at her. "Have fun. And stay out of trouble! Last thing I need is more trouble while we're on Earth." She rolled her eyes.

She walked around the table and kissed him on the lips before she started to follow Becca out of the room. At the door, she turned around and said, "I love you, John." His smile grew. "I love you too, Nikki."

She winked at him and then left with Becca. He was left in the house by himself so he decided to go for a run before he took a shower.

He ran a good five miles before he decided to head back to the house. When he get in the house, he took out his earbuds. He set his ipod down in his room before grabbing a clean set of clothes and heading for the bathroom.

He took a long, hot shower. It felt good after running nearly ten miles. He got out of the shower and got dressed. Suddenly, he heard his cell phone ringing from the guest room.

He picked it up and looked at the caller id. It was Jack. "This is Sheppard."

"Colonel, we have a problem." John sat down on the edge of the bed and started to put on his socks. "What kind of problem, General?"

There was a pause. "Sheppard, Becca and Nikki have been kidnapped."

**SGA**

Nikki and Becca walked into the grocery store. They hadn't talked about anything really important so far. Becca had just been talking about how she had met Dave. She had mentioned that when they had met, John had recently married Nancy.

"I never really cared for Nancy. She always seemed to have a stick up her ass. Especially when it came to John. Whenever he had to be gone for duty, she was practically obsessed with the man. She would always brag about how she was married to an Air Force pilot who saves lives. I mean, I love John, but I thought he was crazy for marrying her."

Nikki smiled and looked over at her. "Why did he marry her?" Becca picked up a box of cereal and started reading the nutritional facts. "Honestly, it beats me. He never really seemed that into her. There was an occasional flicker of something between them, but not too often. I think it had something to do with his father, Patrick. I remember Dave telling me that the man was practically obsessed with getting John to have a normal life. And for Patrick, that meant making him get married and settle down. Once they were married, I remember him always hinting about them having kids. John would always roll his eyes and change the subject."

Nikki nodded. She didn't know why she wanted to know about his first marriage, but she did. Especially after what had happened between her and Nancy when they had met.

"I remember Patrick being so upset when he found out they were getting a divorce. That meant that John would be gone more. And that's the last time we all saw him. John and Patrick had gotten into a huge fight. The worst one they ever had, I think."

"What was it about?" Becca frowned and seemed to space out for a moment, remembering the fight.

"John had just gotten there. We were all supposed to have dinner together, but he arrived after we had finished…"

_John walked into the dining room in his Air Force uniform. He had been in meetings about his next mission and couldn't get out early._

_Patrick turned to look at him when he walked in. "Well, it's about damn time you showed up."_

" _Dad, before you start, I've been in meetings and couldn't get out early." Patrick nodded and took a sip of his scotch. "Meetings, huh? I suppose they weren't about you quitting the military and joining the family business, were they?"_

_John sighed and set his car keys down on the table. "No, Dad, they weren't." His father nodded and stared down into his scotch. "Okay. Well, tell me some good news then. How are you and Nancy doing? Is she pregnant yet?"_

_John tensed and immediately Patrick had a bad feeling. "John, what did you do now?"_

_John took a calming breath, "Dad, she's not pregnant. She's not going to be pregnant. At least not by me. We're getting a divorce."_

_Dave dropped the plate he had been carrying to the kitchen. Becca jumped at the noise and she watched the scene in front of her, too scared to move._

" _Please tell me this is some kind of sick practical joke." John shook his head. "It's not. We already filed. It'll be settled in the next couple of months."_

_Patrick's grip on his scotch tightened. "You disappoint me, John, you know that? First, you refuse to go into the family business and insist on flying around in circles all day, and now you're throwing away the one good decision you actually made. I can't believe this. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"_

" _The one good decision? Dad, I don't just fly in circles. I'm a part of the United States military. You know, most fathers would be proud of their sons for putting their lives on the line to save others. But no, not you, Dad. All you care about is yourself, your favorite son, and that damned family business. You couldn't care less about what I want or what makes me happy. You stopped caring about that the day Mom died."_

_Patrick slammed his glass onto the table. "Don't you dare talk to me like that! I deserve respect, damn it!"_

" _To deserve respect, you have to give it. And you haven't given me any in years." Becca and Dave exchanged glances. Dave gestured for Becca to leave the room. She quietly left, but stayed close to the door so she could still hear what was being said._

" _Why should I? Give me one good reason." "Because I'm your son! Isn't that reason enough?"_

" _You're not my son, John. My son would listen to me and respect me. He would obey my wishes. You just go around doing whatever you damn well please."_

_John just stood there, staring at his father. Dave looked back and forth between the two, not sure what to say. "I'm an adult, Dad. And I'm doing what I love. And if you think it's just a bunch flying in circles, then fine. Think whatever you want. The family business was never right for me, you know that. You have to. I've never been one to just sit around all day."_

_Patrick poured himself another scotch and took a sip. "When are you going to finally get your head on straight and quit that damn circus act?"_

_John shook his head. He couldn't believe it. "That's my life, whether you like it or not. I'm not quitting just to make you happy. How many times do I have to say that before it finally gets through to you? I know I disappoint you. I always have. I disappoint you because I went to Stanford instead of Harvard. I disappoint you because I joined the military. I disappoint you because I'm not a businessman. And I disappoint you because I'm not settling down like you hoped. In fact, I'm doing the opposite and getting a divorce. I'm sorry that I'm nothing like what you hoped."_

_Patrick took another sip of his scotch and poured himself some more. "You're just like your mother, you know that? You do whatever the hell you want no matter the consequences to anyone else."_

" _Oh, and what's that supposed to mean, hm?" "That means that while you're off gallivanting around the world on top secret missions and playing pretty boy, your brother and I are here paying for your mistakes. Do you know what people say about us? How my rebel son is off screwing whores behind his wife's back? How he's a disgrace to the family because he's not here?"_

_John took a step away from his father. "First of all, I'm not out screwing whores. I've been nothing but faithful to Nancy. Second of all, I don't give a rat's ass what people say or think about me. They can think what they want, I really don't care. I don't care if I'm a disgrace to this family."_

" _You wouldn't. You don't give a damn about any of us, do you, John? That's obvious. I might as well write you off as dead along with your mother."_

" _Is that what you really think? You think I don't care about you? If I didn't care, we wouldn't be having this argument. I wouldn't be here. I would have left years ago and never came back, but I did."_

" _Well, it sure doesn't seem like it. Why don't you just leave, John?" John stared at his father. He watched as he downed the rest of that scotch. Patrick stood there staring at his son. "You would like that wouldn't you? Get rid of the nuisance in the family. He's caused enough trouble by not being around, why not make sure he never comes back. I wish mom could see this. See how much of an asshole you really are."_

_Patrick practically exploded. He had had enough. "I don't give a damn about what your mother would think right now! She's dead, John! She's gone. Good riddance too. I don't know what I'd do with two of you around. It's bad enough with one of you! Now get the hell out of my house! Don't you dare come back until you quit the charade you call the military. I don't want to see your face in this house until that day comes, you hear me?"_

_John started backing up towards the door. "I hope this helps you sleep at night. Knowing that you just ruined any chance you had with your youngest son. I won't be coming back. This is the last time you'll ever see me. And I hope that thought haunts you. Have a nice life, Patrick."_

_He turned around and walked through the door. Dave was yelling after him, but he ignored him. He just needed to get away. He was on his own now. He had no family and hardly any friends. At least no close friends. It was just him._

Nikki let everything sink in. They had been moving through the store while Becca told the story. "Wow. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was that bad."

Becca nodded with a sad look on her face. "That was the last time I saw John until he walked through that hospital room with you. I never thought that I would see him again."

Nikki nodded and looked at her friend. "What about Patrick? How did he take their fight afterwards?"

"He was more withdrawn after that. I believe that he regretted everything he said. I know that he missed John, we all did. Dave told me he had found a few pieces of paper where Patrick had started to write to John, apologizing about everything, but stopped. He just shoved them into his drawer and left them there. He was too proud to finish them, let alone actually send them."

"Do you still have them?" Becca's eyebrows furrowed as she went deep in thought. "I believe so. I'd have to ask Dave. He would know where they were if we did keep them. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking…it might give John a little piece of mind to know that his father wanted to apologize and everything. I know that he takes it really hard. He's scared that he's going to be like his father with our children. He's scared he's going to lose them like his father lost him."

Becca nodded and looked at her. "John's a good man. That would never happen. If anything, he's learned from his father's mistakes and can use those mistakes to better the relationships he'll have with his own children."

"I keep telling him that but, you know John. He's stubborn." Becca laughed and smiled. "Tell me about it! That's a Sheppard thing, I think. Dave certainly is stubborn. And Patrick was the worst of the three!"

They continued to talk about different things while they got groceries. They went through the line and checked out. They were just about to leave the check-out line when Nikki felt a the tip of a gun press into her back. "Freeze, bitch, or everyone in here will be on the ground in seconds."

Her eyes widened and she looked at Becca. She turned around and saw the man behind Nikki. Her eyes grew when she saw the look on Nikki's face.

Another figure appeared next to the one who had a gun on Nikki. "Listen up, little miss. You come with us without putting up a fight, we'll let your little friend here live to see another day, you got that?"

Nikki nodded, her eyes never leaving Becca. She mouthed to her, "It's going to be okay." Becca nodded slightly, not enough for the men to notice.

"Okay, I'll go with you. Just let her go. She has nothing to do with this."

"We're going to put the gun away and we'll walk out of the store without a commotion. Otherwise, you're little friend won't even make it to the hospital, nor will the rest of the people in here."

Nikki nodded. "Okay. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt anyone." The gun was removed from her back and a firm hand wrapped around her arm. Before she was pulled away from Becca, she mouthed to her again, "Call John." The second guy saw her mouthing something to Becca and was pissed. The gun was back on Nikki's back and they stopped moving.

"That was the wrong move, bitch. Now you're going to pay."

The second guy took out a gun and shot the cashier. It hit her stomach and she slid to the ground. People started to scream and take cover. Becca was frozen in place. She knew that if she tried to take cover, the man would shoot her. He pointed his gun at the next cashier and shot him. He dropped to the ground as well. Neither had been kill shots, but they were still bad.

"Why are you doing this?" The first guy laughed. "We have our orders, sweetheart. And the order is, you're coming with us, whether you like it or not."

"Okay, then take me. Let these people live. Let's just get out of here. Let these people go. They didn't do anything."

The second guy walked into her line of view. "No, but you tried to slip one past us to this pretty little one here. So, I think we're going to have to take her with us. You know, so she doesn't tattle to your little fuck buddy." Nikki turned and looked at the guy. "What are you talking about?"

The guy smiled and tilted his head to the side. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, sweetheart. The Colonel, of course. Word on the street is you've been sleepin' in his bed. We can't have that, now can we? You see…he belongs to someone else. And we can't have you getting in the way of that. So, you two will be coming with us."

Nikki looked at Becca. They exchanged a look. They both knew who had to be behind this. "Okay, let's go. Just don't hurt anymore of these innocent people, and I'll come with you willingly."

He laughed and shook his head. "You'll come willingly no matter what, hun. And she's coming too."

He grabbed Becca and motioned for the guy who had Nikki to move out of the store. Nikki looked at one of the cashiers who wasn't hurt. She made sure the guys who were taking them couldn't see her lips. "I'm Dr. Nikki Teagan. Military. Tell the cops that." The cashier nodded.

As soon as the men left the store with Nikki and Becca, she grabbed the phone and called 911.

"911, what's the emergency?"

"Hello, I'm a cashier at Sales Mart. Two men just came in here with guns. They took two women and shot two people. We need an ambulance. On their way out, one of the women looked at me and said she's in the military and that her name is Dr. Nikki Teagan. She told me to tell the cops that."

"Okay, an ambulance is on the way, ma'am. I need you to stay calm. Have they left the store yet?"

"Yes. As soon as they walked out, I called 911. They shoved the women into a black van and drove off. There was no license plate."

"Okay, the police will be there shortly. You need to keep everyone calm and do not let anyone leave, okay? Everything will be okay. I'll stay on the line with you until they get there."

"Okay, thank you so much!"

**SGA**

They shoved Nikki and Becca into the van. The second guy walked around and climbed into the driver's seat while the man who had taken Nikki got into the back with them. He shut the door and then turned to them.

He grabbed some zip ties and forced them to turn around. He bound their wrists together and shoved them against the wall of the van. "Now sit there and don't say a word. You talk, I shoot."

Nikki glared at him until he looked back at the guy who was driving. "We got ourselves a feisty one here, Carl."

"You idiot! Don't say my name! Are you stupid?" "Uh…sorry. I mean…Jim! Yeah! She's real feisty, Jim."

"You're such an idiot."

Nikki looked at Becca. She tried to keep her calm by giving her reassuring looks. She knew that the cops would run her name and it would pop up in the SGC that they were running it. They would look into why her name was being run and they would find out about the kidnapping. Then they would call John.

John would flip shit and make the call to bring in his team from Atlantis. He would want the best working to bring her and Becca home safely. And she knew that he would find them. He wouldn't stop at anything to bring them home. She had hope for them. As long as she knew that John was out there looking for them, she had hope.


	18. Here Comes The Cavalry!

**Chapter 18**

"What do you mean, they've been kidnapped?" "They were at a grocery store when a man came up behind Nikki and put a gun to her. Another man shot two of the cashiers, and then took both her and Becca. They got into a black van with no plates. Before they left the store, Nikki managed to tell another cashier her name, that she was military, and to tell the cops."

He nodded. It made sense. "She's smart. She knew that as soon as the cops ran her name, there would be red flags and the SGC would be alerted. She knew that we'd know what happened."

"I'm at the SGC now. I'll put in a call to Atlantis and get your team here. Anyone else you want?"

John took a minute to think. "Have them send Lorne and Kira along with the team. I need the best we've got on this. Elizabeth can handle the city without a military commander for a short while. I need Lorne here."

"Got it. I'll make the call. You also may want to call your brother. We called you first. We'll have the Daedalus beam you up as soon as you're ready."

John stood up and found his boots. He quickly put them on and laced them up. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready."

"See you in a bit." They hung up and John quickly dialed Dave's cell phone number.

"This is Dave Sheppard."

"Dave! We have a problem…"

**SGA**

Dr. Weir turned to look at Chuck. "Get the Colonel's team up here, now. And get Majors Lorne and Holt as well." Chuck nodded and made the calls. O'Neill had just dialed in to fill them in on what had happened.

A few minutes later, Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, Lorne, and Kira walked into the control room.

Teyla say the look on Elizabeth's face and went to her side. "Elizabeth, what has happened?"

She looked between all of them. "You all are being sent back to Earth. Colonel Sheppard has requested that all of you meet him on the Daedalus and help in the search."

Lorne stepped forward. "What search?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath before she told them. "I'm sure you all remember John's sister-in-law, Becca?"

They nodded and waited for her to continue. "Well, we just got word from the SGC that her and Nikki have been kidnapped. The Colonel will fill you in on everything that happened."

Kira's face paled as the rest of them took it in. Lorne was the first to say anything. "When do we leave?"

"Now. Chuck, dial Earth." The gate was dialed and as the chevrons locked, the team assembled in the gate room. Teyla looked up at Elizabeth as the rest went through the gate. "Good luck and bring them home."

Teyla nodded and gave Elizabeth a small smile. "We will."

They all reached the SGC and walked down the ramp. General O'Neill and Colonel Mitchell were waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Jack stepped towards Lorne. "Glad you guys could make it. The Daedalus will beam us up and we'll meet the Sheppards up there."

Lorne's brow furrowed. "The Sheppards, sir?" Jack gave a small smile. "Yeah, the Colonel insisted that his brother be involved in the search and be taken to the Daedalus as well."

Jack turned towards the control room and nodded to Colonel Carter who was waiting to contact the Daedalus. "Daedalus, this is Colonel Carter. They're ready to beam up."

Mitchell, O'Neill, Kira, Lorne, Teyla, Ronon, and Rodney were all beamed up to one of the conference rooms in the Daedalus.

John and Dave were already arguing. "This is all your fault, you know that? If you hadn't let them go by themselves, they'd still be here!"

John whipped around and looked at his brother. "You're kidding me, right? They went  _grocery_ shopping. How was I supposed to know that some guys would just happen to be at the same store and want to kidnap them? I can't follow them around everywhere on the off chance that something bad will happen. Nikki is tough. She can handle herself. And as for Becca? Well, she's with Nikki and I know she'll do her best to protect her."

Dave's face was getting a little red as he got angrier and angrier. "You really think Nikki's going to be able to protect her from everything? For all you know, Nikki could be dead! Becca could be on her own, or hell, she could be dead too! And it's all your fault!"

"Like hell it's my fault! If you really think that, then you also think I should never have come to your house. I should never have tried to get to know my brother more."

"Maybe I am." John stopped his retort. He was shocked. Could his brother really mean that? He stood there staring at Dave.

"You really mean that..?" Dave was about to start yelling again, but Lorne stepped in between the two men. "Okay, that's enough! This arguing is not going help us find them. You can bicker some more after we find them. Is that clear?"

John nodded and turned back to the table he had been looking at when they'd gotten there. There was a map on it with various other pieces of paper and equipment. Dave just watched his brother with pent up energy. John had kicked himself back into Colonel mode. It had calmed Dave slightly to see his brother so determined to find them, but not enough to not want to continue the argument.

He didn't pursue it any further though. The man was right. They needed to concentrate on finding Nikki and Becca right now.

Jack smirked at Lorne. "Way to go, Major."

Lorne and Ronon joined Sheppard at the table. "What's the plan, Shep?" John looked up at his friend. "The plan right now is to find them. And then to make a plan to rescue them." Ronon nodded and looked at McKay.

Rodney sat down and pulled the laptop towards him. "Okay. Have you tried their subdurmal transmitters?"

"We just got here a couple of minutes before you did. We've only had time to find a laptop and argue."

McKay nodded and started typing away at the laptop. "Well…bad news is they're somewhere where the signal isn't allowed to broadcast. I have a few tricks up my sleeve though. I may be able to boost the signal somehow. Give me a few minutes."

Teyla walked over to John and put her hand on his shoulder. "We will find them, John. There is still hope."

John looked up at Teyla. "I know. I will find them. I have to." Teyla gave John a small smile. She squeezed his shoulder and then removed her hand. She continued to stand by his side to give him strength.

"Okay! I've got it!" John looked up at Rodney. "You found them?!"

Rodney looked up at Sheppard. "Well…no, not exactly. But I have narrowed the search area down to a fifty-mile radius!"

Ronon grunted. "That's a lot of area, McKay." "Yeah, but it's a lot better than searching the entire world, now isn't it?"

Mitchell rolled his eyes and leaned over to look at the area McKay had narrowed it down to. "Most of that land is empty. It would take a few days to search though. Any way to narrow it down the tiniest bit more? Even…to forty miles?"

McKay snorted. "You're lucky I got it down this far. There's not enough information to narrow it down anymore. If they had a cell phone or could submit a signal somehow, that'd help. But so far, we've got nothing."

**SGA**

Nikki and Becca had been thrown into an empty room. There was nothing in there to help them escape. There weren't even any windows.

They'd been blindfolded before they were taken out of the van so they wouldn't be able to find their way out if they did somehow escape.

Nikki looked at Becca. "Are you okay?" Becca nodded as she took in her surroundings. "Nikki, what are we going to do now?"

Nikki stood up and walked around the room. "I don't know, Becca, but I'll figure something out. I'll get you home, I promise you that."

The door opened and a different man walked in. He grabbed Nikki by the arm and pulled her out of the room. He slammed the door shut and pulled her down the hallway. "Where are you taking me?"

The man ignored her and continued to pull her through hallway after hallway. He stopped in front of a door and knocked on it. The door opened and the man who had shot the cashiers, Carl, was standing there. He gestured them in and the man holding Nikki threw her into the room. Carl shut the door and turned to look at her. She was sitting on the ground where the man had shoved her.

She looked up at him and glared. "What the hell do you want with me?"

He laughed and walked over to a table that was sitting by the door. "It's not me that wants you here. If it were up to me, you'd be dead already. No, she wants you alive. Why, I have no idea."

"She? Who's she?" "All in due time, sweetheart. For now, I'm here to grill you for some information about your little…friend." He walked over to her and pulled her up. He sat her into the chair that was in the middle of the room.

He pulled out his knife and started to play with it. "So. John Sheppard. Where is he?"  
"Who?"

He laughed and leaned towards her. "Honey, I know you know him. That's his sister-in-law in the other room. You two seemed pretty friendly. So, I'm going to ask you again. Where is he?"

"Go to hell." He slashed his knife towards her and it cut her upper arm. It wasn't a deep cut, but enough to make her bleed. "You see, I'm already going there. Might as well make it worth it. Since you're not going to answer that question…how about this. How do you know him?"

She glared at him, but didn't say anything. They continued the back and forth banter for a good half hour before someone knocked on the door.

Carl walked over and opened the door. The man that had taken her from the room was standing there. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"It's Jean. He wants a word." Carl scowled and turned back to Nikki. "Don't move, sweetheart. I'll be back in a minute."

As soon as the door closed, she searched the room for anything she could use to escape. She found a laptop sitting in a bag on the table. She quickly pulled it out and turned it on. It needed a password. Great.

She clicked on the hint button. The hint gave her the password. "Man, these guys sure are dumber than I thought."

She typed in the password and got access to the computer. Nikki pulled up a web page and impatiently waited for it to load.

Once it did, she brought up her e-mail and sent off a quick one to Rodney. She knew that John would bring him from Atlantis to help him find them. She also knew that Rodney would have his e-mail open if he was working on a computer.

She closed everything down and closed the laptop when she heard footsteps. She shoved the computer back into the bag and just barely managed to sit back into the chair when the door opened.

**SGA**

McKay was typing away at his computer, trying desperately to somehow narrow down the search radius. A screen popped up on the laptop saying he had an e-mail. He almost ignored it until he realized who the sender was. His eyes widened and he opened it.

He was in the middle of reading it when Kira noticed McKay's eyes had widened. "What is it, Rodney?"

John's head snapped up and he looked over at McKay. His eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly open. He looked up and looked directly at Sheppard. "I just got an e-mail. From Nikki."

John jumped up and moved to stand behind McKay. He read the e-mail over his shoulder. Jack was getting impatient. "Well? What does it say?"

John read it aloud, "Rodney- figured you're with John. Don't know who these people are. Two names: Carl, Jean. Yes, Jean is a guy. All middle-aged. Carl mentioned a woman is in charge. Don't know who. Were blindfolded. Been interrogated about John and SGC. Only me though. Tell Dave won't let them hurt her. Someone's coming. Gotta go. Hurry."

John stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Can you use that e-mail to narrow it down further"

Rodney started typing away again. A couple minutes later he looked up at John. "I narrowed it down to a thirty-mile radius. That's the best I can do."

John nodded. "Okay, bring up the map. Let's have a look at what we're dealing with."

McKay brought up the map and narrowed down the radius. "It looks like there's only a few areas where they could be now."

Mitchell leaned in closer and observed the search area. "That old hangar bay could be worth a look. If I were a kidnapper, that'd be a good place to bring them where no one would come looking."

John nodded. "I agree. It's isolated and run-down. No one's used that building in years." He looked up at his team. "Gear up. We're going down." He looked at Teyla and Dave. "You two are staying here. Teyla, I need you to watch this map and tell us what's going on. Dave…please don't argue with me about this. I've already lost my fiancée and my sister-in-law. I don't need to lose my brother too."

Everyone paused when he used the word fiancée, but didn't say anything. Dave simply nodded and took a seat. He put his head in his hands and didn't look at anyone. John came and stood right behind him. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder and lowered his voice so that only Dave could hear him. "I will bring her home, Dave. You have my word. You're going to see her again."

Dave looked up at his brother and saw the sheer determination in his eyes. He knew that John would do anything in his power to bring Becca back to him. All he could do was nod his head.

John looked up at his team. "Let's go."

Jack walked over to the laptop. "I'll stay here and keep the military aspect going up here. Besides, I don't think Landry would be too happy with me if I went down with you." Mitchell snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sir, I think that's an understatement."

The team geared up and got ready to be beamed down. John hit his com. "Colonel Caldwell, request for myself, my team, Colonel Mitchell, and Majors Lorne and Holt be beamed down to the coordinates McKay's about to send you."

McKay rolled his eyes, but went back to the laptop and sent the coordinates. "Request granted. Good luck, Colonel."

They were beamed down to the surface about half a mile from the hangar bay. They wanted the element of surprise.

"Half a mile? Really? Why couldn't they beam up right outside of the building?"

Ronon threw Rodney a death glare. "Shut it, McKay. You could use some exercise."

John rolled his eyes but jumped right back into Colonel mode. "Okay, listen up. When we get to the building, we scout the perimeter first. We see what we can from the outside before we go in. I'll decide once we get there what we do depending on what we find, is that clear?"

He got various "Yes, sir"'s from the team. He turned to Mitchell. "I hope you don't mind me taking this one over, Mitchell."

Cam turned and looked at him. "No, it's your mission. I'm here as a friend lending support and back-up. You're the boss."

John gave him a small smile and they continued their walk to the hangar bay. John was praying that they had found the right place and they weren't too late. He couldn't bare it if he lost Nikki. He didn't know what he'd do.


	19. A Father's Love For His Family

**Chapter 19**

Carl opened the door and stared at her. He sized her up and then stepped closer to her. "How about you and I have a little fun, shall we?"

Nikki glared at him, but didn't say anything. She didn't like where this was going. He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Then he shoved her hard against the wall.

She fought back, but he was stronger than her. He used his body weight and held her against the wall. "Hm, a little beauty like you, I figured you'd be skinnier. You seem like the athletic type to me. Not one to eat her feelings away." Before she could say anything, his lips crashed down on hers. She continued to fight against him, but she wasn't having much luck.

Whenever she would stop struggling, he would hit her. It seemed he liked it a little rough. She tried to keep struggling, but her energy was starting to fade. Finally he released her mouth and she could breath.

"You idiot, I'm pregnant. And when the father of my children finds you, he will show you no mercy. Especially if you harm his children."

Carl tensed. "You're…you're pregnant? With more than one? Oh, shit. I didn't know…"

He backed away from her, but his anger flared once more. He slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground. That was definitely going to leave a mark.

He backed away from her and left the room. She stayed sitting on the floor trying to regain some strength. She knew that John was going to be so pissed when he found her.

**SGA**

John walked around the hangar silently. He gave signals for the team to follow him. Half of the team had gone around the other side. Lorne and Rodney were right behind him. Mitchell, Ronon, and Kira were on the other side of the building.

He found a back door and radioed to Mitchell. "Mitchell, found the back door. No other signs of movement. We're going in."

He went around to the other side of the door and waited for Lorne and Rodney to get into position. When they were, he kicked the door in and went in. The hangar was empty.

They checked every room in the building, but there was no one there. And no signs that anyone had been there in years.

John rubbed his eyes for a second, trying to calm his rising anger. He reached up and hit his com. "Teyla, has the signal moved since we've been here?"

"No, it's still in the same spot. Did you find anything, John?"

He looked around the building one more time. "Nothing. There's no signs that anyone's been here in years. Where's the next spot?"

Jack looked over the map and spotted a couple of run-down buildings a couple of miles south of their position. "Colonel, there are two buildings that seem to be run-down. It's about a two and a half mile walk south from your position."

"Copy that. Sheppard out."

He looked around at his friends. "Looks like we have a two and a half mile walk ahead of us. O'Neill spotted a couple of buildings just south of us. He said they're worth a look."

Mitchell nodded. "I remember seeing those. It would have been my next guess. We better get moving."

John nodded and they headed out towards the new location.

**SGA**

Nikki didn't know how long she had sat there. She kept telling herself that John was coming. He would find her and bring her to safety. She knew he would.

The door opened and the other guy from the store was standing in the doorway. He walked over to her and kneeled down to her height. "So. Jim tells me that you're expecting."

"You know, you can cut the crap. You already slipped up and used his real name." The guy winced slightly, but continued to stare at her. "So, it's true then. You are a proud mother-to-be. Who's the lucky father?"

"Why don't you go straight to hell?" He laughed and stood up. He moved over to the chair that Nikki had been sitting in and sat down. "I'd love to. It'd get me out of this hell-hole. Away from that psycho bitch. But I can't now, can I?"

Nikki sat up a little straighter. "If you get my friend and I out of here, I'll make sure they go easy on you. You have my word."

He laughed again and shook his head. "Yeah right. I help kidnap someone who's close to the infamous Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and I get off easy? Hah! You should go into comedy for that one."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't look away from him. "Actually, it's Colonel John Sheppard."

His face brightened just a little. "Ah, see! We're getting somewhere! So you do know the Colonel. He was promoted, huh? Well, good for him, I guess." His face softened just slightly.

"He's the father, isn't he?" She stared him. She didn't know how to answer that, but knew by not answering, that was answer enough.

He nodded and smiled slightly. "If it's any consolation, I don't think they're planning on killing you or your friend. Of course, I'm not entirely sure what the end game is, but they haven't said anything about killing you."

Nikki relaxed a little on the inside. That helped slightly. That meant she had that much more time for John to find them. "So, what's your name?" He looked at her confused.

"Why do you want to know that?" She smiled at him and her face softened. "I'm a long way from home and miss my family and friends. I just want some conversation to pass the time since all I can do is sit here." He nodded his head and looked down at his hands. "Danny."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Danny. Do you have any family?" He looked back up at her. "Two little boys. Their mom was killed a few years ago." She nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. Why aren't you with them?"

"This is the only way I can make money to provide for them. No one will hire me. I've been looking, but I can't find anything. You know…I used to be a doctor."

She smiled at him, trying to make him comfortable. "Yeah? Why aren't you one now?" He chuckled and looked back down at his hands. "There was an epidemic in the hospital that I worked at. Some chemicals had been spilled and radiation poisoning was found in a lot of people. My wife and I were among the people who had the poisoning."

She gasped and shook her head. "I'm so sorry to hear that. How did you survive?"

"I had a milder case of it. She worked closer to where the chemicals were spilled than I did. She had a terminal case, but mine was treatable. I watched her die a slow, painful death when the only thing that happened to me was my IQ dropped. I lost my job because I became too dumb to be a doctor. No one wants to hire a stupid man who's been through hell."

She didn't know what to say. She actually felt bad for this man. He really had been through hell. The only way he could provide for his children was to join this group of people and break the law. Maybe if she explained that to John, he'd make sure he was put into some kind of care center instead of a prison cell.

"How old are your boys?" He pulled out his wallet and smiled at the picture he had of them. "The oldest is eight. His name is Jimmy. His brother, Nate, is six." She looked at the picture he showed her and smiled as well. "They're very handsome. I can see the family resemblance."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, Mary always said they looked like me. They have her eyes though. I won't let anything happen to them."

Nikki looked up at him and met his eyes. "How are you going to do that when you're not there?"

He shook his head. "She promised me that no one would go after them. That was my one condition when I joined them. That my kids were safe no matter what."

She nodded. She couldn't stand the thought of him being taken away from his kids after everything that's happened to them. "Danny, I need your help. You're a really nice guy and you don't seem like the type who would want them to hurt me. Am I right?"

He put his wallet away and looked up at her. "You're going to be a mother. I wouldn't hurt you."

"Maybe not you, but they will. Your buddy Carl already has. Can you help me? Please? They don't need to know that it was you who helped me. I'll get you out of this place. We can get you some help. Provide safety for your children."

He shook his head. "How can you do that? And why? I kidnapped you." Nikki smiled. She leaned forward and touched his hand. "You're not a bad guy, Danny. You're just in a bad situation and have to do what you have to do in order to protect your family. Believe me, I understand that. But I have people who are looking for me. Important people who will find me. I have a family to go back to. Hell, I'm trying to start my own. All you have to do is let me use that laptop over there and tell me exactly where we are. That's all you have to do. Please."

He stared into her eyes for a long minute. He seemed conflicted. He glanced back over to the door, but then got up and went to the table. He reached into the bag and found the laptop.

Danny walked back over to her and handed it to her. She took it from him and smiled. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

She opened it, typed in the password, and brought up the webpage as fast as she could. She didn't want to be interrupted before she could send her message. "Okay, where are we, Danny? I need to know so I can tell my people."

He told her their exact location and she opened up a new e-mail to Rodney. She typed in the coordinates a long with a short message: This is where we're being held. Don't ask how I found out. Hurry. Please. Not much time.

She sent the message and quickly closed the laptop. It wouldn't be long before John and his team would be there now and they would be on their way home.

She handed him the laptop and he returned it to the table, exactly where he had found it. He stood there staring down at his hands. "Will they be here soon?"

"They should be. As long as they received the message." He nodded and looked up as the door opened. Carl was standing there. He was watching Nikki with intense anger.

He crossed the room and made her stand. "You're coming with me, bitch." Danny stepped in between the door and Carl. "Wait, where are you taking her? She's pregnant, man. This is wrong."

Carl laughed and shook his head. "That doesn't matter to her, you know that. If anything that pissed her off even more. She requested to see the bitch herself. Don't know what she's gonna do, don't care either. She's just a little whore who needs to be taught a lesson. Now, get out of my way or little Jimmy and Nate will become orphans before you can say San Francisco."

Danny moved out of the way. He gave Nikki an apologetic look. She knew that he couldn't leave his sons fatherless. She understand. Before she left his sight, she threw him a look that meant she understood and that it would be okay.

He pulled her down another hallway and into a much larger room than the last one she had been in. He shoved her down into a chair and tied her to it. He made sure the rope was tight so she couldn't get out of it.

She heard heels echoing off the walls in the hallway coming towards her. Nikki looked up as someone walked into the room. It was Nancy. Her eyes widened for a split second before she threw her a death glare.

"What the hell do you want with me, you psycho bitch?" Nancy laughed and smiled. She made her way closer to Nikki. "I want to see the look on your face when I kill you. That's what I want with you."

She refused to let her fear show on her face. If she let Nancy know she was afraid, then Nancy won. There was no way she was giving her that. "And how exactly are you going to do that?"

She walked over to a table that was out of Nikki's view. "Slowly. Unfortunately, you won't feel a thing. But John will when he finds your dead body. That's the part that I'm looking forward to myself."

Nikki's anger was bubbling up. So the reason she was kidnapped was so that Nancy could kill her to get revenge on John. Wow, that was really low and pathetic in her book.

"You didn't strike me as the mastermind type, really."

Nancy walked back into Nikki's line of view. She had a syringe and a cotton ball in her hand. "Oh really? What did I strike you as then?" "Oh, you know. A pathetic psycho bitch who will do anything to get someone back who will never go back to her. And then when she realizes that, she'll do anything to get revenge on him. No matter how stupid it is."

Nancy glared at her, but didn't say anything. She looked at Carl and nodded. He moved towards Nikki and started to cut her arms every now and then just enough to make a thin line of blood run down her arms. He was having fun with it.

Nancy put up her hand and turned towards the door. She had heard something. "Carl, go check that out."

He nodded and left the room to investigate the noise.

**SGA**

Teyla kept her eyes on the laptop to make sure that the signal wasn't moving. She was about to look away when a screen popped up saying that Rodney just received an e-mail.

She opened it and saw that it was from Nikki. She hit her com. "John, we just got another e-mail from Nikki. She gave her exact location and a short message. She said, "This is where we're being held. Don't ask how I found out. Hurry. Please. Not much time."

John nodded. "Okay, is their location the same place we're going now or somewhere else?"

"Hang on, I will check." Teyla brought up the map again the found the location Nikki had sent. It was, in fact, where the team was heading. "John, it is the same place. You are on the right path."

John gave a small sigh of relief. He knew where she was! "Thanks, Teyla. Sheppard out."

He turned to his team. "Okay, we got another e-mail from Nikki. She gave their location and we're heading to the right spot. Let's pick up the pace a little. She said there's not much time."

They picked up the pace and finally reached the location that Nikki had sent. One of the buildings had lights on. He took a wild guess and assumed that's where they were.

They walked the perimeter of the building and found an entrance easily accessible. There were no guards outside, but that didn't mean anything.

They made their way inside and split into the two teams once again. John and his team would take the upper levels while Mitchell and his team took the lower levels. Any sign of anyone, they were to radio it in.

John climbed the stairs slowly. He heard a creak coming from a hallway ahead of him. He reached the top of the stairs and found a man sitting on the ground with his head in his hands.

Sheppard slowly moved towards him. The man looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the men. "You…you're John Sheppard, aren't you? You're here for Nikki?"

John's brow furrowed but he nodded. "Do you know where she is?" The man nodded. "I'll take you to her! I didn't want any of this to happen…I swear! I'm so sorry…"

John looked back at Lorne. Evan was just as confused. He looked back at the man. "Okay, take us to her."

Lorne radioed to Mitchell that they had found someone who was taking them to Nikki. Mitchell replied that they were on their way up.

John followed the man as he walked down one hallway and then down another. They were halfway down another hallway, when the man stopped. He pointed to a door at the other end of the hallway and looked back at John. "That's where they're holding her. Get in there fast. I don't know what they're doing to her. They wouldn't let me go in. But I doubt it's anything good."

John nodded and started towards the door. The door opened and a man walked out. At first he didn't notice them standing there. He shut the door and wiped off his knife. John noticed that it had blood on it.

He positioned his gun directly on the man. Carl looked up to start down the hallway and froze when he finally noticed them all standing there.

He took off running around a corner before John could get a shot. He yelled back at Lorne, "Go after him!"

Lorne nodded and took off after Carl. John and Rodney ran into the room. Nikki was tied to a chair and Nancy was injecting something into her arm. "Drop it or I will shoot you."

Nancy quickly emptied the rest of the syringe into Nikki's arm. Nikki's eyes widened. She looked up at John. "John!" He pulled the trigger and shot her in the shoulder. She fell to the side and grabbed her shoulder.

Rodney ran around John and pulled the syringe out of her arm. John walked over to Nancy and glared down at her. "So you're the one behind this. Why?"

Nancy looked up at him with a smirk on her face. "Why do you think?" "What do you want with her?"

Nancy actually laughed. She looked half-crazy. "I don't want anything to do with her. I wanted to see the look on your face when you found her dead body."

"Oh yeah? Well, it's a little too late for that now, Nancy." Her smile grew. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, John."

He looked behind him where Rodney had already untied Nikki. He was helping her stand when she collapsed. He ran to her side and she was quickly losing consciousness.

"John…man named Danny. Have him tell you why he's here. Help him. Please."

John grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes. He barely registered Mitchell and his team coming into the room. They went over to Nancy and made sure she didn't escape. Ronon and Kira watched John and Nikki with sad looks on their faces. Rodney stepped back away from them to give them their space.

John pulled Nikki into his arms and held there as he sat on the ground. "I will. You're going to be okay, Nikki. You are. I promise. We'll get you some help."

Nikki shook her head slowly. "It's too late. Becca…she's in a room." John nodded. "I'll find her. Sh, save your strength, okay? You're going to make it through this."

"John…" Her strength was quickly depleting. She was losing consciousness. "John, I love you…"

He had tears in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. "I love you too. You have to hold on. Nikki? Nikki!" Her eyes closed and she went limp in his arms. He felt for a pulse.

She still had one, but it was weakening. He gently set her down and looked up at Mitchell. "Call the Daedalus. Have them beam her up. Now." He walked towards the door. Ronon called after him. "Where are you going?"

He didn't turn around as he walked out of the room. "To find Becca."

Ronon ran after him as Mitchell called it in. They walked down the hallway until they heard banging and shouting.

"Help! Someone…I'm in here! Please…"

John took off running towards the sound. He entered another hallway and found where the yelling was coming from. He made it to the door. It was locked. "Stand back! I'm going to kick it in!"

There was silence and then John kicked the door in. Becca was standing in the middle of the room. She looked terrified until she saw John. She flew into his arms. "John! You're here! Nikki kept telling me you'd find us and that everything would be okay. Where is she? Did you find her?"

At John's silence, she pulled away. She saw the look on his face and knew it wasn't good. She looked up at Ronon. He had the same look in his eyes. "Where's Nikki?"

Ronon saved John from having to answer. "She was beamed up to the Daedalus infirmary. That's where you're going too."

She nodded and looked back at John. He wouldn't meet her eyes and that worried her. John turned to Ronon. "Find the man named Danny. When you find him, have the Daedalus beam you up. I'm going up with her."

Ronon nodded. "Yeah, I'll take care of things down here. Go."

John nodded and hit his com. "Daedalus, this is Sheppard. Becca and I are ready to beam up."

They beamed they straight to the infirmary. He turned around and saw Nikki laying on a bed with doctors surrounding her. Her heart was still beating. That was a good sign.

Becca gasped when she saw her. "Oh my god…What happened to her?"

John didn't move his eyes off of her. "Nancy injected her with something right as we walked in. We were too late." Becca looked up at him with sad eyes. She could see the pain and worry in his eyes.

He was terrified for her and for the babies. If she survived, there was no certainty that the babies would as well, he knew that.

Dave walked in and froze when he saw Becca. "Becca?" She whipped around and looked at him. She ran towards him. "Dave!" He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against him. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

She was crying and clinging to Dave. "It's going to be okay, baby. I've got you. You're safe now."

She nodded and pulled away slightly. "She protected me, Dave." He looked over at John and saw the look on his face. He looked to where John was looking and saw Nikki surrounded by doctors.

His heart sank. He got back his wife, but what John got was his fiancée who might be dying. Dave let go of Becca and moved over to stand next to John.

"You know…if they could save me, I know they can save her."

John didn't say anything, he just continued to watch the doctors work. Dave reached up and squeezed his brother's shoulder before moving away. He took Becca's hand and left to go tell Teyla about Nikki.

When he walked into the conference room they had been in, Kira, Lorne, and Rodney all beamed up. Lorne hadn't seen Nikki and he still wasn't aware of what had happened. That was obvious since he was the only one of the group that didn't have a certain look on their face.

Dave walked up next to Teyla. She looked up at him and instantly knew something was wrong. "What has happened?"

"It's Nikki. I don't know what happened or anything, but it doesn't look good. If the look on John's face is any indication, it's not good."

The normally strong Kira let a few tears slip down her face. She closed her eyes and just let them flow. She was terrified for her sister. Lorne saw the tears running down Kira's face and pulled her into him. He didn't care that General O'Neill was standing right there. Kira needed him right now and he was going to be there for her.

She leaned into him and quietly let her tears flow. She refused to make a scene. It wasn't about her. It was about her sister.

Rodney stayed silent and sat down in a chair. "We need to get back to Atlantis. Jennifer and Carson can help her, I know they can."

Teyla sat down next to Rodney. "Rodney, do you know what happened?"

He nodded, but continued to stare at the table.

"Some guy told us Nikki was in this room. This guy came out, Lorne chased after him when he ran, that's why he doesn't know. He wasn't there. John kicked in the door. Nikki was tied to a chair in the middle of the room. Right as we got in, Nancy was injecting something into Nikki's arm. John told her to stop, or he'd shoot. Well, Nancy injected her with the rest of the syringe. John shot her in the shoulder and she fell to the side. I went to get the syringe out and untie her while John went over to Nancy to get answers. I heard Nancy say something about all she wanted was to see the look on John's face when he found he dead body. He said she was too late, but she said not to be too sure of that.

He turned around and Nikki collapsed. The drug was starting to kick in already. John held her while she was talking. She said something about he had to find a guy named Danny and help him. Then…she said she loved him and went unconscious. He laid her down on the floor, told Cam to have her beamed up, and him and Ronon went to find Becca."

Teyla nodded and looked up at O'Neill. "What's the next step?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, we have this Nancy woman in custody as well the man that Major Lorne chased down. There's another man in custody, the one that helped locate Nikki. We'll hand them over to the authorities."

"I want to talk to her." Everyone looked up at John's voice. He was standing in the doorway. He looked neutral, but anyone who really knew him knew that he was pissed as high hell.

"Colonel, I don't know if that's such a good idea." He stepped towards O'Neill. "I don't care. She's my ex-wife. I want to talk to her. Beam me down to wherever it is she's being held." He looked over at Lorne for some back-up but he simply nodded.

Evan knew that John needed to do this. He needed to know why. If anything happened to Nikki, he would need those answers.

Jack sighed but nodded. "Okay. Just don't do anything I'll regret." John nodded and waited as Jack had him beamed down to the surface. Mitchell and Ronon were watching the three of them in the room where they had found Nikki.

John walked in and stared at Nancy. Ronon turned around and looked at his friend. He was worried about him. He didn't know what he would do if Nikki died.

"So. John. Come to seek revenge on me?" He stepped closer to her. "I'm not like you, Nancy. You'll get what you deserve. I promise you that."

She laughed and shook her head. "You always were full of promises you could never keep."

"That's a load of bull and you know it. So tell me, why did you take them?"

"I told you, John. I wanted to see the look on your face when you found her dead." He smirked and a gleam came into his eyes. "Well, looks like you failed. She's not dead. I just talked to the doctors and they said she'll be fine. Looks like you were a little off on your dosage."

She rolled her eyes. "You're lying. I've known you long enough, John Sheppard, to know when you're bluffing." "Actually, I'm not bluffing. She is very much alive."

Nancy's smile slowly slid off of her face. "Doesn't mean her little darlings will survive. I know for a fact that little present was enough to do some damage."

He stared into her eyes. "If something happens to them because of you, you will regret the day you ever crossed my path."

She laughed again. "Oh, John. You won't hurt me. It's not in your nature. You're all about protecting women, not hurting them. But, I guess you failed in that area too, huh? If it weren't for you, your little whore would be perfectly healthy!"

Ronon lunged forward and pressed his knife against her throat. "Ronon. She's not worth it."

He didn't move. He saw the flash of fear flicker through her eyes and he smiled. He stepped back and watched her with a smug grin on his face.

"If they die, you're going away for murder. As it is, you're going away for kidnapping, child endangerment, attempted homicide, shall I go on?"

Nancy glared at John. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I took something precious away from you just like you did to me."

"What did I take from you, Nancy? Hm?" "You took away my children."

He sighed and shook his head. "We didn't have any children, Nancy." "Exactly! And now because of you I never will!" "That's not my fault and you know it. We've already had this conversation. I told you that I'd quit if you got pregnant. You didn't get pregnant, so I didn't quit. It's not my fault we didn't have kids. We tried. Remember that? We tried everything in the book! But nothing worked. And as I remember, it tore apart our marriage."

She shook her head. "No, you tore apart our marriage. You were never there." He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I had a job. It's not like I could say, 'hey, I don't want to go on this mission. Send someone else. I have to spend time with my wife.' It doesn't work like that. And you knew what you were signing up for when you married me. It's not my fault you couldn't handle it. I warned you."

Mitchell and Ronon exchanged looks. John was getting really pissed. "Doesn't mean you had the right to tear apart our marriage! We loved each other, damn it! You were too obsessed with your daddy issues to realize anything but yourself!"

He stepped closer to her and dropped his voice to a threatening level. When his voice dropped and was even like that, you knew he was severely pissed.

"Don't you dare talk about my father, you bitch. Let's get one thing clear here. You're going to prison for a very long time. I'll make sure of that. It's not my fault we didn't have kids. That's obvious considering Nikki's pregnant with my children. It's also obvious that it wasn't me who was stopping us from having kids. I'm glad we didn't have any. That means I don't have to put up with you anymore. If you come near my family again, I won't shoot your shoulder."

He turned to walk away, but her voice stopped him. "What happens if she dies? There's not that much family to go after then." He turned around and looked at her. "She isn't my only family. My team is my family. The people I sacrifice my life for every day, they are my family. If you go after any one of them…consider yourself warned."

He looked at Ronon. "Did you find him?" Ronon nodded in the direction of the man who had helped them find Nikki. "Good. You, follow me."

Danny stood up and followed John out of the room.

They walked down the hallway a little ways and John turned back towards him. "Okay. Nikki told me to have you explain to me why you're here."

Danny told Sheppard everything that he had told Nikki. He showed him the picture of his kids that he had in his wallet. John stared down at the picture of the two little boys. This man had a family that he was trying to protect. Nikki wanted him to help this man and it was obvious why.

Danny told him how he had helped Nikki. And that was the deciding factor for him. "Let me make a couple of calls and see what I can do. Mitchell!"

Cam stepped out into the hallway. "Yeah, Sheppard?" John turned and looked at Mitchell. "This man helped Nikki. He's not to be treated like a prisoner. I'm going to make a few calls and see what I can do to help him out. Get him some food and water and keep him away from those two lunatics in there."

Cam nodded. "Will do." John turned back to Danny. "I want to thank you for everything you did for her. You didn't have to help her, but you did. That shows a lot of courage in my opinion. I'm going to do everything I can to get you and your family some help, okay?"

Danny's face lit up and he nodded. "Yes, sir! Thank you so much! I don't know how I can ever repay you!" John shook his head and looked down at the picture he was still holding. "Take care of your boys. That's repayment enough." He handed Danny is picture back and walked away.

He had the Daedalus beam him up and he went straight to the infirmary.

The doctors had settled down and left Nikki alone. She had a breathing tube down her throat and was still unconscious. He grabbed a chair and moved to her side. He picked up her hand and just sat there watching her.

He was silently praying to whoever was out there that she would survive this. That all three of them would survive this.

He didn't know what he would do if he lost them. "Nikki…fight this. You can't let go. Nikki…I love you. Please come back to me."


	20. Remembering The Forgotten

**Chapter 20**

General Jack O'Neill had given the order to send everyone back to Atlantis, minus Dave and Becca. They were taken back to their home and told not to discuss what had happened with anyone. John reassured them that he would keep them updated and what was going on with Nikki. As soon as he knew something, he'd send out the e-mail.

That was the best he could do under the circumstances. Before Dave and Becca were beamed to their house and before they all went back to Atlantis, Dave pulled John aside. "John, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about arguing with you earlier. I was just panicking. I'm not used to this sort of action or anything like this. Not the way you are."

John nodded and looked at his brother. "I understand. It's the pressure, it gets to us all. I kept my word and I brought her back to you. Apology accepted."

Dave nodded slowly, but didn't look away. "Thank you. I really hope that Nikki will be okay. She's earned her place into this family and I don't want to see her go. In any circumstance."

John lowered his head slightly and looked away. He was scared to death about what Nancy had done to her. All he could do was nod. Dave gave him a small smile. "I'll be waiting for that e-mail. Good luck."

John nodded again and moved back into the infirmary, back to Nikki's side. That had been the first time he had left her side since he had spoken to Danny.

And now they were back on Atlantis. Beckett and Keller were running blood tests to try to figure out exactly what kind of drug was injected into her and how to fight it. Dr. Weir walked into the infirmary a couple of hours after they had arrived.

Lorne had told John not to worry about briefing her, he would do all of that. Evan knew that John needed to be with Nikki right now, as much for him as it was her.

He was sitting in a chair holding her hand. Elizabeth stood next to him and looked down at him. "Have the doctors said anything about her condition?" He shook his head and continued to sit there.

She wasn't quite sure what to say. "Maybe you should get some rest, John. It's been a long day.

"I'll get some rest after I hear what's going on." She nodded and grabbed a chair for herself and settled down next to him. She pulled a data pad out of the case she had been carrying and got to work on some mission reports.

Soon Kira and Alex joined them as well. About another half hour after that, Lorne and the team arrived. Rodney parked himself on a vacant bed across from Nikki. Ronon made Teyla do the same since she was pregnant and it had been such a long day. They knew she needed her rest and they knew she wasn't going to leave either.

Soon enough, John heard the soft sounds of his friends sleeping. Elizabeth was still working on mission reports and seemed to be the only one besides him still awake. Rodney was out cold with his mouth hanging open. Ronon was sitting in a chair between the beds that McKay and Teyla were occupying. He had his feet propped up on McKay's bed with his head resting against the wall and was snoring softly.

Alex was on the other side of Nikki holding her other hand. He had his head resting on her arm and seemed to be asleep. Kira was sitting next to him and Lorne was, of course, sitting next to her holding her hand. She was leaning against him and he had his head resting on the top of her head, both asleep.

He gave a small smile at the sight of all of this friends sitting here with him, waiting for news to see if Nikki would be okay. It hadn't taken long for her to work her way into their hearts. She threw around a few smiles and a couple of winks, and you were hers; hook, line, and sinker.

He thought about the times when he had come into the infirmary after a long mission and would find her helping Carson or Jennifer with the check-ups. He would secretly watch as she would be so gentle with everyone she helped. If they were in pain, she would try her best to calm them and take away the pain as best she could.

In tough situations where her expertise was needed in the infirmary during a crisis, he would watch as she kept a level head and didn't panic. He admired that about her. She wasn't one to really freak out when things got rough. She was one hell of a doctor, that was for sure.

He thought about the times he had watched her perform experiments or when she would get excited over new technology they had found. The scientist in her would really come out. The look of pure joy that would erupt onto her face was priceless. She was truly passionate about her work, and that was something you needed when you were out here on Atlantis.

John thought about some of the smartass comments she'd made to him or to others. She didn't let anyone intimidate her or belittle her. If someone talked down to her, she would let them know just how smart and talented she was without being a pigheaded, arrogant, know-it-all like McKay.

She wasn't just smart and talented in her work. She was tough, strong, and beautiful. Nikki could kick just about everyone's ass on Atlantis and wouldn't whine about breaking a nail like some scientists he knew. After the sparring session, she'd smile and there would be no hard feelings, no matter who had won.

As far as he knew, the only people who could beat her were Teyla and Ronon though. Not even he could beat her at sparring.

She loved her brother as any sister would. They stood up for each other time and time again when someone had something to say about the other. It showed how loyal she was to the ones she loved. Nikki had accepted Kira into her heart in under a day. She had trusted her to help save his life when he had gone on a risky mission without his team.

John had watched the three siblings get really close in the months that Kira had been welcomed into their lives. He had watched as Nikki fell in love with him and then become pregnant with his children. He had watched as her belly had gotten bigger and that it was obvious she was pregnant.

He had fallen even more in love with her when he watched as she didn't even attempt to hide the fact that she was pregnant, especially by the commanding military officer of Atlantis.

Nikki reveled in that fact. She didn't hide it. She was proud of it. She was proud to be with him and to be able to call him hers. Every minute he spent with her, he fell more and more in love with her.

She had accepted when he asked her to marry him. And there had been no hesitation. It was clear to anyone who watched the two of them together that they really loved each other and were meant for each other.

He never thought that he would finally find someone. McKay always joked with him that he was Kirk. He always rolled his eyes and brushed it off, but he had always wondered…was McKay right?

Was he destined to spend endless nights alone or with different women? Would he ever find someone he could spend the rest of his life with? He had always tried to push that thought to the back of his mind. He hated talking or thinking about feelings, he wasn't very good at it.

But then he had met Dr. Nicole Teagan. She was a scientist, a doctor, and someone who could kick your ass into next week. Figuratively and literally. A triple threat.

She was beautiful, had a mind of her own, and was extremely talented. She was also the love of his life, his fiancée, and the mother of his unborn children.

She was a sister, a friend, a lover, and a damn good person.

John squeezed her hand and put his face in his free hand. He didn't know what to do. He was usually stronger than this, always the tough, unbreakable one.

Elizabeth looked up from her data pad and watched John. She could see how tired he was, but she knew better than to say anything. This was the first time she had seen that unbreakable wall crumble and that worried her.

Nikki was an invaluable member of the expedition. But, most of all, she considered Nikki a friend. There weren't many people who had something bad to say about Nikki. Elizabeth hadn't received any complaints about her since she'd been there.

In just a couple of weeks, she had worked her way up the ranks in the science department and earned her spot as third in command. That was a big deal when you worked under Rodney McKay.

She remembered the day McKay had come to her and told her he wanted Elizabeth to give Nikki a promotion. She had been confused and had asked what he meant by promotion. He had talked her into creating the position of third in command. She had been hesitant since she hadn't been there long, but Rodney was adamant in his decision.

Elizabeth had accepted his request and had given Nikki the promotion. From that day on, she had gotten the privilege of working more closely with NIkki. She had befriended her quickly.

Elizabeth was disrupted from her thoughts as Carson walked into their area of the infirmary. John looked up when he heard footsteps approaching.

Beckett looked around at all the sleeping people around Nikki's bed. He only found two awake: Colonel Sheppard and Dr. Weir.

He gestured for them to follow him out of the room so they could talk without waking the others. They both stood and followed him.

When they were out of earshot of their sleeping friends, John couldn't take it anymore. "Did you find anything?"

Carson nodded. "Aye, we just got the blood test back and were able to identify the drug that woman had injected into Nikki as diphenhydramine. Now, this drug is an antihistamine that's not usually dangerous. It's used in medicines such as Benadryl. Although, when used recreationally and in high doses, it can have serious side effects."

John and Elizabeth exchanged a quick look before Elizabeth spoke up. "What side effects?"

"Well, in serious cases such as this, we may be looking at hallucinations, blurred vision, amnesia, allergic reactions, heart palpitations, and that's just the beginning of the list. She'll survive this, I'm certain of that, but I have no idea what the side effects will be and if they'll be serious or permanent."

"She'll be okay? What about the babies?" Carson looked back over at the bed for a second before looking at John. "I wish I had more answers, John, but we won't know more than what I've told you until she wakes up. Right now only time can tell us if the babies will survive. It was a very high dosage of that drug."

He looked between Elizabeth and John. "But, if those babies are anything like either of their parents…they'll make it through. You both are two of the strongest fighters I have ever met, physically and mentally. They have your genes running through them. If I were a betting man...well, I'd bet on them. Now, I don't want to get your hopes up, but you do need to keep some hope. There's still a chance they'll survive, I assure you that. But, like I said, we'll know more when she wakes up."

John nodded and turned to look at Nikki. The good news was that she was going to live. He wasn't going to lose her! A smile appeared on his face and he almost laughed. He was filled with renewed hope that maybe he hadn't gotten there too late after all.

He returned to Nikki's side and watched her sleep. Soon he allowed himself to drift off to sleep with the knowledge that she would survive this.

A few hours went by and the team started to wake up. Carson came back to check on Nikki's vitals and found most of them awake. He smiled when he saw that John had fallen asleep finally. He knew that with the little bit of good news he was able to give him last night, it would help him rest.

Lorne stood up when he saw Carson. Dr. Beckett quickly filled them in on what he had told Dr. Weir and Sheppard. The tension in the room went down some, but they were still worried about the side effects and whether or not the children would survive.

"I think it's best if you all went back to your quarters and got some rest. You all need it. If there is any news, I'll set off the communication tree, now scoot."

Slowly, they started to leave. Each relieved that John had been told the news and was able to get a little bit of the sleep he needed. The only ones left after they had gone were Nikki, John, and Carson. He had kicked everyone else out.

He would have kicked the Colonel out as well, but for one, he was finally sleeping, and for two, he wouldn't have gone even if it had been an order.

Not that he blamed him in the slightest. He probably wouldn't have gone either.

**SGA**

A few days passed and Keller removed the breathing tube from Nikki's throat. A couple of hours later, she showed signs of waking. Jennifer made sure that John was informed and waited for him to show up. She knew that with Nikki showing signs of waking up, he'd come as soon as he could.

It only took about fifteen minutes for the Colonel to get to the infirmary. He sat in his usual spot next to her bed and held her hand. Jennifer stood a little distance away and watched the two of them.

It was obvious how much he loved her. He had been next to her every second he was able to. He had to leave to get some sleep, eat, and perform some duties, but the rest of the time, he was in the infirmary.

Rodney walked into the room and stood next to Jennifer. She looked up and smiled at him. "I hope that everything will be okay. For both of their sakes. I don't know how much more the Colonel can take at this point."

Rodney nodded and looked over at his friend. "They'll be okay. Sheppard's been through worse. He had a lot longer wait with his brother."

Jennifer nodded, remembering when Dave and his family had been on Atlantis. It hadn't been quite as bad as it was now, but it was still rough.

Nikki felt something warm holding her hand. She felt herself waking up, but she didn't have the energy to open her eyes yet. She felt a familiar hum around her. She didn't know what it was though.

She had no idea where she was, yet she had a feeling that she was safe. Nikki heard voices talking softly in the distance, but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

Something started rubbing against her hand. Maybe someone was holding her hand…that could make sense. But who?

She opened her eyes slowly and looked around. She saw machines on her right side hooked up to her and beeping soflty. She slowly turned to her left and saw a handsome man sitting by her bed. He was holding her hand and rubbing his thumb along the side. So, she had been right. Someone was holding her hand.

The only problem was…she didn't know this man. At least, she didn't think she did. He was staring down at their hands, deep in thought. He looked worried or sad. She couldn't tell which exactly.

She looked over when she heard the voices stop talking. Two people were watching her. One was blonde and obviously a doctor and the other was a man, not as good-looking as the man sitting next to her in her opinion.

The doctor started towards her. "Nikki? How are you feeling?" She saw the man on her left's head snap up and look at her. He had intense hazel eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. They seemed really familiar.

She looked up at the doctor who was now standing right next to her bed. "Who are you?" The woman looked at the man on her other side, confused. She looked back at her. "Do you remember your name?"

Nikki nodded. "Nikki Teagan. Where am I?" "Okay, well that's a good start. You're on Atlantis. What's the last thing you remember?"

She looked away from the doctor, trying to pinpoint exactly what the last thing she remembered was. She remembered being at home with her brother. They were with their parents.

"I was at home with Alex, my brother. We were telling our parents we were going on a trip somewhere, but I don't remember where."

The doctor nodded. She turned around and looked at the man she had been talking to before. "Radio Alex, tell him to get here." The man nodded and reached up to his ear and said something.

The woman turned back to her and smiled. "My name is Dr. Jennifer Keller. You were drugged and have been unconscious for a few days now. How are you feeling? Any headaches? Soreness?"

Nikki shook her head. "No, I feel fine. I am a bit hungry, but I feel perfectly fine." Jennifer nodded and looked over to the man sitting next to her.  
"This is Colonel John Sheppard. Do you remember him?" Nikki looked back at the man and studied his face. Slowly she shook her head and looked back at the doctor. "No, I don't. Should I?"

Keller was about to respond, but the man interrupted her. "I'm a friend of yours. We've been working together." She looked at him and tried to will herself to remember him. "I'm sorry, I don't remember you." She looked back at Jennifer. "Why can't I remember things that…I should remember?"

Another doctor walked in and appeared at the foot of her bed. He smiled at her and when he talked, he had a clear Scottish accent. "I'm Dr. Carson Beckett. Did Dr. Keller tell you that you had been drugged?"

She nodded and waited for him to continue. "The drug that you were injected with is called diphenhydramine. It's an-." "It's an antihistamine, yes, I know. I went to medical school. How much was I given for me to have amnesia?" Beckett smiled knowingly. So he knew that she had gone to medical school. He was testing her to see how much she still remembered.

"A very high dosage, I'm afraid. It was used recreationally so it was pure diphenhydramine. I hear you remember your brother at least. That's good, he's on his way."

Nikki nodded and looked at the doorway when someone else walked in. It was Alex. Finally someone she recognized. Alex smiled and moved to the right side of her bed. Jennifer moved out of his way so he could be close to his sister.

"Hey there, sis. Sleeping beauty finally awakens, huh?" She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. "It's good to see you, Alex. Finally something familiar to me." His brow furrowed and he turned to look at Beckett.

"She has amnesia. We're not exactly sure how badly yet. Nikki, tell us again what is the last thing you remember?"

She looked at Alex. "I remember being at home with mom and dad. We were telling them we were going on some kind of trip and wouldn't be back for a while and we couldn't tell them where we were going. But I can't remember where we were going."

Alex nodded and looked up at Beckett. "She remembers the last time we saw our parents before coming here." Beckett nodded. "So then she has no memories of anyone here or even being here."

Keller looked over at Carson. "There is a chance that she will regain her memories though. She remembers most of her life, only a few months are missing."

"How much of my memory is gone?" Keller looked down at her. "It's still there, but…about eight months. That's how long you've been here."

"Where exactly is here?"

Keller suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at Beckett. "We should probably run a couple of tests to make sure…everything is okay." He nodded in understanding.

"Nikki, we're going to take you into the other room so we can run a couple of tests. We had to wait until you woke up to find out just how much damage there was."

She nodded. "That's fine. Do what you need to do." She moved her left hand and suddenly realized her stomach was bigger than she remembered. "Um, is there something I need to know?"

Beckett looked up at her confused. "I'm sorry?" "I'm athletic, Dr. I really can't see me gaining this much weight in the eight months since my last memory."

Keller nodded and looked at her. "Nikki, you're pregnant." Her eyes widened and she looked over at Alex. He gave her a smiled and nodded. "How far along?"

"About three months." She looked at John. His face was expressionless, but she could tell he cared for her. "If I'm three months along, I shouldn't be this big already." Keller looked up at Beckett and then back at her. "You're having twins. That's why we need to get these tests taken now so we can make sure the babies are okay."

She nodded, but looked back at Alex. "Who's the father?" He looked at John for a moment. John slightly shook his head, indicating that he didn't want Alex to tell her yet. He looked back down at her and thought for a moment about what to say. He didn't want to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the entire truth. "That's not exactly my place to say. You'll find out soon. I have to get back to my lab though. I'll be back in a little bit." Nikki nodded as she watched him stand, send a look the Colonel's way, and then leave the infirmary.

John let go of her hand, but didn't move. He looked into Nikki's eyes. "I know you don't remember me, but I'll stay here as long as you want me to. A new place can be unnerving when you don't really know anyone."

She smiled and nodded. "I would like that, John."

**SGA**

Teyla walked into Carson's office. He was sitting at his desk looking at some test results. He looked up as she walked in and smiled. "Teyla! You're early. I got the tests results back and your baby seems to be in perfect health. And I have some news. The baby is a-." "It's a boy, yes I know, Carson." He looked perplexed. "How on Earth did you know that?"

She smiled at him. "I have a connection with him. I believe it has something to do with the Wraith DNA. Both Kanaan and I have it and so the baby does as well."

Carson nodded and seemed to think it over. "That makes sense. The Wraith are able to mentally connect with each other so it's only natural, I suppose, that you are able to connect with your baby. It's rather fascinating, actually." Teyla smiled. "Yes, it is wonderful."

Carson smiled at her and stood up. "You only have three months left until the little one arrives. Have you been preparing for when he makes his appearance?"

"I was going to go talk to Elizabeth when I leave here about finding bigger quarters. Halling is making us a cradle. It should be ready by then." "That's good to hear. If you have any problems, just let me know. During the last month, you'll be restricted from going off-world, just as a precaution. Sometimes they like to come earlier than usual, which is normal. I just don't want you going anywhere and going into labor."

Teyla nodded. "I was not planning on going anywhere anyways, Dr. Beckett. Thank you for the test results." He smiled and watched her leave. He went back into his lab to check to see if the tests results had come back on Nikki yet.

Jennifer was standing at one of the lab tables. "The results came in. Is the Colonel still in there with Nikki?"

Carson turned around and looked back into the infirmary. "Looks that way. It must be rough having to pretend they're only friends. I hope for all of their sake she regains her memories soon. Anywho, let's go give them the news."

They walked out into the infirmary and found the two laughing and talking about something. "Sorry to interrupt, Colonel, Nikki, but we have the test results back."

Nikki and John looked up at the doctors. John felt like he was holding his breath. He didn't want to seem too worried in front of Nikki since she didn't know that he was the father, but on the inside he was nervous.

"It looks like the babies are going to be just fine. Only some of the drug made it into their system so they're going to be perfectly fine." Nikki sighed in relief and John visibly relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his face. It had been a long few days. He looked back up when he heard Beckett excuse himself and Keller.

He looked up to see Nikki watching him. "So, we must be pretty close for the Commanding Military Officer of this place to be sitting with me in the infirmary." He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it's never a dull moment with you around."

She smiled. "I'm kind of surprised we're friends. Military men don't usually want to be friends with someone who can kick their ass. Unless…you can actually kick mine?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Sadly, no. You beat me every time. There are only two people on this base who can beat you, though. That's quite the accomplishment." Nikki nodded and looked down at her hands. That's when she realized that she was wearing an engagement ring.

"Um…John?" "Yeah?" She was silent for a moment as she stared at the ring. It was beautiful. "I'm wearing an engagement ring."

He looked down at her hands and mentally kicked himself. "Yeah, it looks like it." She looked up at him, but he wouldn't meet her eye. He kept staring at the ring.

"So…then I'm engaged. If I'm engaged then…you'd think he would be here with me." He grunted softly and shook his head.

"Yeah, you'd think." She was about to say something when his hand went up to his ear.

"Colonel Sheppard, this is Chuck. Please come in."

"Sheppard here." "Colonel, General O'Neill just dialed in from Stargate Command. He's requesting to speak with you."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, I'll be right there." He stood up and looked down at Nikki. "Looks like duty calls. I'm surprised I've made it this long without being called away." He chuckled, but then his face went serious. "I'll be back later if you would like some company."

Her face brightened and she nodded. "Your company is a lot better than just sitting here staring at a wall for hours on end. So, yes, I would very much like your company."

He smiled and nodded. "That settles it then. I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned and left the infirmary. He made his way up to the control room and saw Dr. Weir standing over a laptop. He walked over to her and saw General O'Neill through the screen.

"Colonel Sheppard! I hear Dr. Teagan is going to be just fine." John paused for a moment before answering. "Yes, she's going to be just fine. And so will the babies, we just got it confirmed."

Elizabeth looked up at him with a big smile on her face. "Good! I was hoping you'd get the results back soon." He nodded and looked back at Jack. "Was there a reason I was called up here, sir?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, actually. In two days, the President will be here along with the IOA and General Landry. That means that you and Dr. Weir have two days to get ready and then come through the stargate to propose your plan for the new zpms."

John nodded. "Yes, sir." "Okay. Well, we'll be seeing you both in two days. Better start planning. O'Neill out."

The stargate shut down and Elizabeth turned to John. "Let's go into my office."

He followed her into her office and sat down in the chair across from her desk. "John, I heard about the amnesia. How bad is it?"

He sighed and looked down at his hands. "She remembers everything up until when she said good-bye to her parents before coming here."

Elizabeth gasped. "So she has no knowledge of the last eight months?" He shook his head and looked up at Elizabeth. "Have you told her about the two of you?"

"No. I told her we're just friends when she asked. I don't want to stress her out even more right now with adding a supposed relationship with a stranger on top of being in an unknown place, being pregnant with twins, not remembering the last eight months of her life…it's too much stress, especially since she's pregnant. I don't want to cause anymore."

Elizabeth nodded and thought for a moment. "But it causes even more stress because she doesn't know who the father of her children are. And I'm assuming she's noticed that engagement ring on her finger?"

He nodded and looked back down at her hands. "She knows she's engaged and is pregnant with twins. It might bring down some stress if she found out who the father was."

John stood up and moved towards the door. "Maybe. We'll see. I'm going to go get ready. I have things to do before we leave."

He left her office and went straight to the infirmary. Nikki looked up as he walked in and smiled when he sat down in the seat he had been occupying not too long ago.

"So what was that about?" "Oh, you know, just a check-in with Stargate Command. General O'Neill wanted to inform me that Dr. Weir and I will be going back to Earth in two days to meet with the President, the IOA, and some other people."

Nikki nodded and thought about it. "Could I go? I mean…back to Earth, not to the meeting. I'd like to see my parents."

John looked down at his hands and thought about what to say. "I'm sorry, Nikki, please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not letting you go back to Earth for a while. You were just kidnapped, drugged, and almost died and that was my fault. I'm not letting you go back just a little while, just to be on the safe side."

She nodded and looked at him. "It's okay, John. I understand. Dr. Keller told me what happened. She said I was with you and your family when it happened. From what she said, it's not your fault though. They were going to do it whether I was there on my own behalf or not. Don't blame yourself. I certainly don't."

He looked up at her and met her eyes. "Why not?" "Because from what people have told me so far, and from what I've gathered on my own, you're a pretty great guy. And I know that you did everything you could to get me back, and you succeeded."

John gave her a small smile and sat back in his chair. "Well, enough about me. Let's talk about something else…"

**SGA**

John hardly left Nikki's side for her duration in the infirmary. He only left when he had to for sleep, food, and his duties. He wanted to help get Nikki's memories back as best he could.

She had regained a few of her memories in the past few hours since John had left to get some sleep before his meeting with Elizabeth in the morning.

Nikki had talked to Jennifer to confirm the details, but she remembered arriving at Atlantis on the Daedalus, John coming to find her because of a fight between Alex and a Lt regarding her.

She remembered fighting with John and Rodney against a chemical that had infected the city. She definitely remembered the sassy looks she would give him and the little comments they would make at each other.

The last thing she remembered was being trapped in the room with him when they kissed for the first time and then having him go into a coma not too long after that.

It was starting to get frustrating for her. She couldn't remember what happened after he went into the coma, how he had gotten out of it, and how their first date had gone. Were they still dating? Was that who she was engaged to? Maybe he was the father of her children. But he had said they were only friends….unless he just said that just so he wasn't adding more stress onto her plate. That and he wouldn't be just saying, "Yeah, oh, and we're engaged and you're having my kids. So you're stuck with me, sorry."

She could tell he was hiding something from her, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She had a feeling that he was doing it for her own good. He was trying to protect her in a way.

Dr. Keller had suggested to her that she talk to Teyla about doing some meditation. That maybe that would help.

She was being released from the infirmary, so she was going to head to Teyla's quarters right after she was released. Teyla had already agreed to it.

She found her way to Teyla's quarters and ran her hand over the door alarm. A moment later, the door opened and Teyla was standing there. "Nikki, you are right on time. Please come in."

Nikki followed Teyla into the room and they sat down on the floor next to the bed. Teyla had set up candles around the room as their light source and to give the room a mellow feeling.

"Close your eyes and take deep, calming breaths." Nikki did as she was told and immediately felt herself calming into a more relaxed state.

Teyla brought her through a couple of exercises to get warmed up, and then brought her down into meditation. She walked Nikki through step-by-step and helped her reach the meditative state.

Nikki felt as if she were just floating in space. She couldn't see or feel anything, but she wasn't afraid. Suddenly, she was standing in the infirmary talking to Dr. Beckett about Colonel Sheppard's condition. She saw the others sitting around the infirmary just as worried about their friend.

It was like she was an outsider in her own memory. She stood off to the side and watched things unfold and knew they were real.

She watched as John woke from his coma and told them he had had a nightmare. He promised Nikki that he would make it up to her for missing their date and then, when no one was looking, he brought her down and kissed her.

They hadn't thought anyone had seen the brief kiss, but Major Lorne had. He gave the two a small smile before bidding his good-bye for the night and promised the Colonel he'd be back first thing the next morning.

The infirmary disappeared and suddenly she was sitting in one of the jumpers. She was looking up at a beautiful coral reef. Nikki watched herself and John eat their picnic dinner on the floor of the jumper during their first date. She watched as the chemistry between them grew and then as they had a quite passionate make-out session. She chuckled to herself for feeling slightly awkward watching herself and her date make-out.

She flipped through a few memories and lived each one as if she was really there, only as an outsider. She watched as they went back to Earth because of Dave. That's when she had met Cam Mitchell for the first time, along with General Jack O'Neill.

That was the same memory where John had asked her to be his girlfriend officially and she had accepted. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched both fights between herself and this Nancy woman.

The memories kept flooding back, but they ended right after John had asked her to accompany him back to Earth. Her vision went dark as they were walking out of her lab towards their separate quarters to pack.

She blinked in confusion. She couldn't have too many memories left to uncover, but why was it suddenly going dark now? She still didn't have any memory of anyone proposing to her or what had happened for her to lose her memory.

Nikki's eyes opened and focused on Teyla sitting in front of her. "Were you able to recover any memories?"

Nikki nodded and let all of the memories she had just gained sink in. "I remembered everything up until right after John asked me to go back to Earth with him. It couldn't have been more than a week or two ago…I'm about the size that I was in the memory."

Teyla nodded. "You must be referring to when you two went back so he could discuss with his brother about him and his family moving to Atlantis. Dr. Keller told me that you may never get the memory of what happened to you back. It is a miracle you got as many memories back as you did."

Nikki nodded and stood up. "Thank you so much for your help, Teyla. I'm sorry to meditate and run, but I really need to go find John."

Teyla smiled and stood as well. "I understand. He is probably in his office at this time of the day. If he is not there, check the mess hall."

She nodded and moved towards the door. "Thank you, Teyla! I'll see you later!"

She left Teyla's quarters and went in search of John. Nikki followed Teyla's suggestion and decided to check his office first.

She poked her head around the door and saw him sitting behind his desk doing some paperwork. She smiled and leaned against the door frame.

"I'm going to take a wild guess here, and say that you're the one I'm engaged to?"

John's head snapped up and his brow furrowed. She smiled and moved into the room. "I just left Teyla's. Her and Dr. Keller had an idea that maybe some meditation could bring back some memories."

She sat down on the corner of his desk and he looked up at her. "Did it work?" Her face brightened and she nodded. "My last memory is of us walking out of my lab after you asked me to go back to Earth with you."

He nodded and looked down at his hands. "So, I'm guessing you remember who I am now?"

Her smile widened and she moved so she was facing him and he had no choice but to look into her eyes. "For the most part. The only thing I'm fuzzy on is why I have a ring on my finger. Care to elaborate on that?"

A smile stretched across his face and he pulled her down onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Nikki." She smiled. "Oh, I can imagine. At least one good thing came out of all of this."

He looked down at her and frowned. "Oh really? And what is that?"

She sat up and looked into his eyes. "If anything, I love you more than I did before I was kidnapped." He smiled. "Oh really? And why is that?"

She leaned closer to him and stopped right before she got to his lips. "Because you stayed by my side as much as you could. You helped me get my memory back and you wouldn't give up. You rescued me when Nancy had them kidnap us. You saved me."

He rested his forehead against hers. "I couldn't leave you. No matter how hard it was to pretend like we were nothing more than friends. I just couldn't. And as for rescuing you, I couldn't let the love of my life stay in the hands of my psycho ex-wife, now could I?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No, you couldn't."

He closed the distance between them and kissed her. They shared a long and passionate kiss. While their lips were locked, Nikki's find flashed back to the two of them in the guest bedroom back at Dave's house.

John was pulling out a little black box and then he was proposing to her. He was asking her to be his wife and she accepted. She finally had the one memory that she had been searching for and she had the answers she really needed.

She was in love with Colonel John Sheppard. She was having his children and she would soon become his wife. Life couldn't get any better than it was at that moment.


	21. The Plan In All Its Glory

**Chapter 21**

The stargate engaged and the chevrons locked. The SGC received the idc from Atlantis and opened the iris. General O'Neill moved from the control room down into the gate room.

He stood at the bottom of the ramp awaiting the arrivals.

Colonel John Sheppard and Dr. Elizabeth Weir stepped through the gate and walked down the ramp. "Dr. Weir, Colonel Sheppard. Glad to see you've made it. I hope you're prepared for this meeting. It's starting in five minutes."

Elizabeth nodded and stood next to Jack. "We're ready. We have a lot to discuss." John nodded and looked around to see if Mitchell had made an appearance yet or not. "If you're looking for Colonel Mitchell, he's out with SG-1 on a mission at the moment. He should be back before you leave."

John nodded and followed them as they headed to the conference room for the big meeting that would determine what would happen with the new zpms. He had been put in charge of coming up with what they could be used for. Elizabeth was in charge of coming up with arguments for each idea.

They worked as a team to put their plan together and make it fool proof. They just hoped that the IOA, the president, and everyone else who would be at this meeting would agree with the things they wanted to use the zpms for. Their strongest argument was that it would boost morale significantly to have some change on Atlantis. Some good change for once.

They walked into the conference room and sat down at the table. General O'Neill and General Landry sat down on the opposite side of the table along with the top members of the IOA.

John glanced over at Elizabeth and could tell she was nervous. He smiled at her. "No matter the outcome, it's still home and it's still ours." She locked eyes with him and smiled. "That's very insightful, John." He smirked and nodded. "Yeah, well, I've been around Nikki too much it looks like."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Thanks." Sheppard nodded and turned and stood as the President of the United States walked into the room with his bodyguards. He moved to the head of the table. He looked around the table at everyone and smiled. "Let's get started, shall we?"

**SGA**

Nikki paced the recreational room they were occupying. Ronon, Lorne, and Alex were sitting at a table watching Nikki pace the room back and forth. She paced for a good half hour.

Kira was laying on the couch staring at the ceiling with her arms folded behind her head. Rodney was pacing the other end of the room and Keller was trying to get him to sit down already. His pacing was giving her a headache. Teyla walked into the room and watched the scene in front of her.

She sat down on the couch next to Kira. Lorne sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "This is ridiculous. Are we really going to just sit here until they get back from the meeting?"

Ronon grunted and looked at him. "We're not just sitting here. We're watching them pace."

Evan rolled his eyes and looked at the man. "And it's driving me nuts. We need to do something to get our minds off of this. They've been gone for seven hours, I'm sure it won't be too much longer."

Kira sat up and looked at the wall. "He's right. We can't just keep sitting here, or pacing. There are no missions, and even if there were, the Colonel said no going off-world until he got back. Maybe we could go to the Mainland. Spend some time there for a while."

Rodney stopped pacing and looked at her. "Yes, but then we wouldn't be here when they did get back. They'll probably hold a meeting as soon as they do get back and then we'll miss the meeting because you're bored and want to go exploring!"

"Rodney!" He turned to look at Jennifer. She tugged on his hand and made him sit down on the couch next to her. "Sorry. I'm just nervous."

Nikki stopped pacing as well and looked out the window that was facing the ocean. "Okay, so we need something to do to occupy the time that doesn't include leaving the city. Any ideas?"

Ronon looked at Nikki. "We could watch that movie that Shep likes." Rodney snorted. "You mean Star Trek or the old football clips? No, if we watch a movie, then our minds will just wander off and we'll be thinking about them again. That won't work."

Teyla nodded. "I agree with Rodney. We need to keep our minds active."

"We could always play a game." Everyone turned and looked at Jennifer. Ronon was looking at her as if she were crazy. Nikki turned to face her. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, we could play this game from Earth. It's called Battle of the Sexes. It pits guys against girls. It could be interesting and help us pass the time."

Nikki turned and looked at Teyla and Kira. "I'm up for it. How about everyone else?"

Ronon and Lorne exchanged looks. They were about to object when they received looks from Teyla and Kira. They immediately shut up and nodded. They knew what was best for them.

"Rodney?" Jennifer turned to look at Rodney. He was looking at the men across the room. He gulped and nodded. He didn't want to get on Jennifer's bad side.

Lorne sighed and looked at Jennifer. "Okay, what do we do?"

"We split into two groups: guys and girls. Once we're in two groups, we ask the other group questions they have to answer to get points. Like, the girls ask guys more feminine questions and the guys ask the girls more masculine questions. In this case, we won't be able to limit the questions to Earth-based questions. More universal."

They split into two groups across from each other at the table. "Okay, we'll go first. Rodney, can I see your data pad, please?"

He handed her the data pad and she brought up a notepad to keep score. She typed in the two columns for their scores and the guys' scores. "Okay, we'll ask you questions that more girls would know. If you get the question right, we keep asking questions and you get the opportunity to keep earning points. If you get it wrong, you ask the question and we get the opportunity to earn points. Is everyone ready?"

They all nodded and Jennifer looked at her teammates: Teyla, Kira, and Nikki. "Okay, what do we want to ask them?"

They discussed amongst themselves and Jennifer asked the question. "This is an Earth-based question, sorry, Ronon. Before you answer, you can talk amongst your group to confer with your teammates. Here's the question: Name the 7 dwarves in the children's fairy tale, Snow White."

Rodney's eyes widened and he turned to look at Lorne frantically. Lorne just smiled and looked at Jennifer. "Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Grumpy, Bashful, Doc, and Sneezy."

Rodney stared at Lorne wide-eyed. "What? I have two nephews…"

Kira laughed. "That's one point for the boys!" Ronon grunted. "Next question."

The girls whispered to each other and Teyla looked across the table. "A skillet is a type of what?"

All four men looked at each other. Ronon and Alex shrugged and looked at the other two. Rodney stared at Lorne expecting him to get the question. "What?"

"Well, you should know the answer, Mr. Seven dwarves!" "That doesn't mean I know how to cook!"

Nikki chuckled and looked at Lorne. "Do you have an answer or forfeit that question?" Lorne sighed. "I guess we forfeit."

Jennifer nodded. "Okay, it's your turn to ask a question." The men conversed with each other to come up with a question.

"Where would you find a head gasket?" Nikki snorted. "That's easy. In a car engine."

Jennifer added a point to their column after Lorne confirmed the answer was right. "Okay, what's the name given to someone who works with a band who arranges transportation and sets up equipment?"

Jennifer smiled. "A roadie." Rodney looked at Jennifer with an incredulous look on his face. "What? I was a roadie for a band in high school."

Alex snorted. "For some reason, that doesn't surprise me." Jennifer smiled and added another point to their score. "Okay, ask the next question, gentleman."

Ronon didn't wait to confer with the others. "How many Photon torpedoes could a federation starship simultaneously launch from a single photon torpedo tube?"

Everyone turned to look at him. Lorne started laughing. "I think you and Sheppard have been watching too much Star Trek, but that's a good question."

He turned and looked at the girls. They all looked at each other with blank expressions. Nikki was just about to guess when her com activated. "Dr. Teagan, this is the control room. Please respond."

She reached up and hit her com. "Teagan here." Rodney pointed at her. "No fair! No cheating!"

Nikki rolled her eyes and listened to Chuck. "Thanks, Chuck. We're on our way."

She looked at her friends. "They're back and they're calling a meeting. We're all to report to the central tower conference room immediately."

They nodded and exited the room together, making their way to the conference room. Radek and Beckett were already in the conference room when they arrived. The Colonel and Dr. Weir were still in her office preparing for the meeting.

They sat down around the table and talked amongst themselves nervously for a couple of minutes before Dr. Weir and Colonel Sheppard walked through the doors into the room. The doors shut behind them and they took their seats at the front of the table.

They both looked worn out and Nikki guessed it had been a pretty long meeting. Elizabeth arranged the notes she had taken during the meeting and gathered her thoughts before she looked up and looked around the room. Her face was neutral, so no one could tell what the verdict was. John's face was the same way.

"As you all know, Colonel Sheppard and I just came from a meeting with the President of the United States, the IOA, General O'Neill, and several others. As of right now, only part of the plan has been approved. We're still waiting to hear about the rest of it."

Rodney's brow furrowed and he sat forward. "Wait, so they sent you back without telling you what they had decided?"

Elizabeth nodded and looked down at her notes. "It seems the IOA wanted to talk with the others without us around so they had us sent back." She threw a look the Colonel's way before leaning forward and clasping her hands in front of her.

"It's not my fault the IOA are a bunch of narrow-minded, arrogant, sons of-."

"John." John shut his mouth and looked at the table. The group exchanged glances with each other before Beckett spoke up. "Are we missin' somethin' here?"

"The Colonel decided it was a good idea to get into a shouting match with the head of the IOA. Luckily for him, the President was on his side."

John looked up at Elizabeth. "I was going to let it go, but he wouldn't keep his mouth shut. He's just lucky there were two generals there that I happen to respect."

Elizabeth looked at him and gathered her thoughts before she spoke. "I understand why you were upset, hell, I was angry myself. They were out of line, I get that. But we're trying to get them to approve a plan that I know you want as much as everyone else."

Nikki looked at John and saw how tense he was. She could tell he was still pretty angry about whatever had gone down during the meeting. She decided she was going talk to him about it later when they were in private.

John nodded. "Let's just get back to the meeting, shall we?" Elizabeth nodded and looked down at her notes. "We suggested converting a room into a small church for those on Atlantis who are religious or when we have a use for a church. They approved and we'll be searching for a good location. We also need to find someone to be a sort of pastor." Beckett perked up. "Oh! I know just the man for that job, Elizabeth."

She looked up and smiled. "Excellent. You're in charge of talking to General O'Neill about getting him security clearance then." Beckett nodded, pleased that a friend of his may be coming to Atlantis.

"Drs. Beckett and Keller will be going back to Earth when we hear back from General O'Neill. We're expanding the infirmary so we'll need more doctors. You're in charge of selecting them."

Keller nodded and squeezed Rodney's hand. They had planned to have a date later that night, but it looked like it was going to have to be rescheduled.

John seemed to have calmed down and joined in. "We're also going to be building a day care since there will soon be kids running around the city. I suggest that Nikki and Teyla select who the day care providers be." Elizabeth nodded. "Since their children will be in the day care, it makes perfect sense. You'll go back with the doctors."

John turned to look at Nikki. "And you're not going to leave the SGC." She was about to protest but she saw the look in his eyes and nodded. She would talk to him about that later as well.

"We're going to be expanding the mess hall as well. It's crowded as it is, we might as well expand it while we have the resources and the time." John looked over at Lorne. "Major, you and I will be leading teams searching every inch of the uninhabited areas of the city. If there's any damage, I want to know about it. I want to know how bad it is, if it can be fixed, what rooms are living quarters and what ones are labs, I want to know everything."

Lorne nodded. "Yes, sir." John looked at Kira. "You'll also be leading your own team."

Kira's head snapped up and she looked at John with wide eyes. "You're letting me lead my own team?"

John smiled and nodded. "Sure am. That is…unless you'd rather not. I can assign someone else to lead it." "No! That's fine." Her face was lit up as she sat back in her chair. She didn't think she'd been there long enough to lead her own team for anything.

John glanced at Nikki and she smiled. Elizabeth smiled as well and continued on. "At some point, depending on the decision of the SGC, we'll be starting a small school. If the plan to have family members come to Atlantis is approved, then we'll have kids in the city who will need an education. We'll need to find teachers and build a curriculum. That can wait until there are children on Atlantis."

"Didn't you mention something about morale officers?" Elizabeth looked up at John and nodded. "Yes, I think it would do the city some good to have some morale officers. They can plan some events, especially if we'll have families coming to the city. The boredom of people off-duty should go down as well."

Ronon looked from John to Elizabeth. "Events? Like knife-throwing or something?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, that could be one, I suppose. Just events to get people's minds off the latest crisis of the city." Ronon grunted. "I say we should have a knife-throwing contest. Shep and I could take on the whole city."

John turned and looked at his friend with a smirk on his face. "I agree with Chewy. We should have one. You know…good for morale." Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but continued with the meeting.

"If the plan is approved, we'll need more food. Any suggestions?" Elizabeth looked around the room, but everyone stayed silent for a moment. "I could ask my people if there is any way to plant more harvest."

Dr. Weir nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Talk to your people when you get back from Earth and let me know what they say." Teyla nodded.

Elizabeth reviewed her notes once before looking up at everyone. "Well, I think that's all until we hear back from the SGC." They all stood up and left the conference room.

John and Nikki left together and went back to their quarters. Well, John's quarters, since they still hadn't found new quarters.

When they got back to the room, John sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. Nikki sat down beside him and rubbed his back.

"So, want to tell me what happened in the meeting?" John took a few moments to think about what to say. "They called my judgment into question. They said, 'Should he really be here when it's obvious his priorities are screwed up?'" Nikki paused for a second. "Priorities? What are they talking about?"

"Apparently because I'm becoming a father, my priorities are all screwed to hell. According to them, I'm unfit to be the commanding officer and I should be replaced."

"You're kidding me, right? They can't do that! You're the best person for the job. They can't just take it away from you just because you're going to have a family."

John nodded. "That's what I said. And then they made a low blow and said, 'Well, if you had any sense of honor you would have waited until the two of you were married before you knocked her up. From what I hear, you were only together for a month!' They're lucky the generals were there, otherwise they'd still be unconscious for that one."

Nikki frowned and looked at John. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry, John." John looked down at her with a frown on his face. "Why are you sorry?" "Because it's my fault this is happening to you."

He snorted and shook his head. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it takes two people for the stork to come. Unless there's something I'm missing, I was there too. It's as much my fault as it is yours. And besides, it's not like they can just take my job from me just because I'm starting a family. The president said the same thing."

Nikki looked up at him. "So that's what Elizabeth meant by him being on your side?" He nodded and explained to her how the President had told the IOA to back off. "It was pretty cool actually. I probably would have laughed if I hadn't been so pissed off."

She nodded and rested her head back on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. "Back in the meeting, you looked like you wanted to argue with me."

Nikki nodded again, but stayed where she was. "I didn't want to argue in front of everyone about it, but…I don't understand."

"I told you a few days ago that I don't want you going back to Earth for a while because of what happened with Nancy. Now that you are going back to Earth, I don't want you leaving the SGC. It's the safest place for you. Especially since I'm not going with. I won't be there to protect you."

At this she did look up at him. "I can protect myself, you know." He chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I know, but I'm your fiancée and the father of the children you're carrying. It's kind of my job to kick some ass for you."

A smile lit her face and she reached up and kissed him. The kiss deepened and they slowly laid back on the bed. They probably would have gone further, but suddenly John's com activated. "Colonel Sheppard, this is the control room. Please come in." He sighed and looked at Nikki. "Duty calls." He reached up and hit his com. "This is Sheppard."

"Sir, General O'Neill has dialed in from the SGC and is requesting to speak to you." He sat up and looked at Nikki. "Can you patch it through to my quarters?" Nikki nodded and went to take a quick shower while he talked to the general.

Chuck patched the it through to John's laptop that was sitting on his desk in the corner of the room. John sat down in the chair in front of it. General O'Neill's face appeared on the screen. "General O'Neill." Jack nodded. "Colonel. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

John nodded and waited for Jack to continue. "The IOA was strongly against the plan." John nodded. "I figured they were, sir. They didn't quite keep that to themselves."

"No, they certainly didn't. But the President overruled them. It seems he has a fondness for you and took your side. The plan has been approved and you're to put together a list of people who may want to go to Atlantis. Once you have the list, you are to send it here and I'll take it from there. I'll keep you updated, of course. Also, I ask that you hold off on sending the good doctors for now. You see, we're still in the process of finding suitable candidates. I'll dial in when we're ready for them."

John nodded. "Yes, sir. You also may want to find some suitable candidates for day care providers. We'll be sending Teyla and Dr. Teagan with the doctors to find people for the day care."

Jack nodded. "Will do. I'll pass along the word. Well, I hate to chat and run, but I have some dreaded paperwork to catch up on. I'm sure you understand that. Take care." "Yes, sir. You too, sir."

Jack nodded again and the screen went dark. John sat back in his chair and thought about what the general had said. He hit his com. "Sheppard to Dr. Weir."

"This is Weir. What is it, John?" "Did you talk to the General?" There was a pause. "I wasn't aware that he had dialed in. I went for a walk to clear my head. I assume you talked to him?"

John smiled and walked over to the bed. He sat down before continuing. "Yep. It seems the plan was approved. We're to send the doctors and Teyla the next time they dial in. They're still trying to come up with candidates for them to sort through. We're also supposed to make a list of family that may be interested in coming to the city."

"That's good news! I'll let them know they're off-world journey will have to wait for now. I'll also start on the list when I get back to my office. Meet me in my office first thing tomorrow and we'll continue the process."

John nodded to himself, laying back on his bed, getting relaxed. "I'll see you then. Sheppard out."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He vaguely heard the shower turning off and then a couple of minutes later the bed moved next to him.

He peeked his eyes open and looked to his left. Nikki was laying there in a towel and watching him. She smiled when he turned to look at her. "So, good news?"

He nodded and his face brightened a little. "The plan was approved. And you wanna know the best part?"

"What's that?" His smile grew and he tugged her down on top of him. "You're not leaving tonight. So you're all mine."

She giggled and nuzzled his neck. "And what is it we'll be doing?"

He wrapped his arms around her and rolled them over so that he was on top. "Oh, you know. The same thing we did for the good ole stork to be paying us a visit in a few months."

She giggled again as his mouth came down on a very sensitive spot on her neck. They were going to have a pretty good night. They usually did when it was just the two of them.

He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. "You know, I really can't wait to be your husband." Her face brightened. "And why is that, John?" "Because I'll have the most beautiful wife a man could possibly have."


	22. Searching The City

**Chapter 22**

John walked into Elizabeth's office first thing the next morning carrying two cups of steaming hot coffee. He had gotten up earlier than usual and had gone on an early run, made a coffee run, and then went straight for her office. Nikki had still been asleep when he had left the quarters.

Elizabeth looked up as he walked in. She eyed the coffee and her face lit up. "Just the thing I needed. Thank you, John."

He set the cup down in front of her and smiled. "No problem. I figured every early morning meeting needs coffee." Elizabeth smiled and nodded as she took a sip of her coffee. She looked back down at her laptop and sighed. "I've gotten a little ways into the list, but not too far. We'll need to talk to every member on Atlantis to see who they would want to come to the city. I took the liberty of putting your family on there already since I know that was the plan."

John nodded and took another sip of his coffee. She looked up at him. "Have you talked to Dave about it yet?" "Actually, I have. Both he and Becca want to come. They said once the plan was approved, they'll talk to the kids about it and get their opinion since they're old enough to know what they want. At least Jayden is. I'll send him an e-mail about it when I get to my office."

Elizabeth nodded. "I plan on sending out an e-mail to everyone in the city about getting the names of family members who could come here. Any suggestions on how we should do this? There are a lot of people to go through."

John nodded, thinking about their solutions. "Well, how about we just say in the e-mail for them to come up with a list of people and e-mail it back. Give them a deadline so we're not waiting forever for the list."

Elizabeth nodded. "That way we don't have to meet with everyone. I like it. I'll make the deadline for tomorrow morning. That way we can get the list together and send it to General O'Neill quickly."

John nodded and patiently drank his coffee as Elizabeth sent out the city-wide e-mail. She sat back once it was finished and looked up at him. "You should start sending out teams to survey the city. The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can fix any damage and then move people in. We still need to find you and Nikki bigger quarters and I'm assuming Teyla and Kannaan will want some as well."

He nodded again. "I'll go make a search plan and then assemble teams. That is, if we're done here?" She nodded and watched him leave her office.

John made a quick stop in the mess hall to grab another cup of coffee and then went straight for his office. He sat down behind his desk and got started on the search plans. It took him a good hour or so before he figured out the teams and which team would search where. John was just about to leave when he remembered that he had to send Dave a quick e-mail. He opened up his laptop and pulled open his e-mail.

"Dave-

Good news: the plan was approved! Dr. Weir put your names on the top of the list to go to the SGC for approval. If you're still interested, I hope you're able to come. It would mean a lot to both Nikki and I. Also, everyone else is anxious to see you all again. General O'Neill or someone from the base will be contacting you shortly. Probably within the next few days would be my guess. I hope to hear from you soon.

-John"

John hit send and then stood up to leave his office. He grabbed the data pad that contained the search plans and headed out the door.

He walked up to the control room and made his way over to Amelia who was at the controls.

She smiled as he walked up. "What can I do for you, sir?" "Can you patch me through to all available military personnel, including Ronon."

She nodded and made the adjustments on her laptop before hitting enter. She nodded to him, signaling that the line was open.

"This is Colonel Sheppard to all available military personnel. You are to report to the gate room in full gear in one hour. You'll be debriefed at that time. Sheppard out." He looked back at Amelia. "Thanks, I'll see you later."

She smiled and watched him leave the control room.

He had a little time to kill, so he decided to grab some breakfast before he had to be in the gate room. John walked into the mess hall and found their whole group, minus him, already there eating. He grabbed some food and made his way over to their tables. Nikki had left a seat open next to her like always.

He sat down next to her and smiled. "You got up early this morning. When did you leave?" "Oh, about 04:00. I went for an early run before my meeting with Elizabeth and then I had some things to do back in my office."

Nikki nodded, but stayed silent. Ronon looked up at him. "So, why are we all going to the gate room, Shep?" Lorne and Kira looked up towards Sheppard. "We'll be searching the city today. I made a search plan a little bit ago."

Ronon nodded and continued to devour his food. Kira was still vibrating with excitement that she would get to lead her very own team for the first time on Atlantis.

Everyone finished their breakfast while conversing about what the day may bring for each of them. Nikki looked up at John.

"You know, we're going to need to get some stuff for the babies for when they come. We don't have anything right now." John nodded and finished off his coffee. "I'll request a few catalogs be brought over with the Daedalus." "Why don't we just go back to Earth and pick some things out ourselves?"

He looked up at her with a serious look on his face. "You know why, Nikki. Last time you were back on Earth, you almost died."

She shook her head and placed her hand on his. "It'll be different now. Nancy and the others are locked up. They can't get to me. And you'll be with me all the time. It would be fine." He shook his head again. "I'm not willing to take that chance."

Nikki was starting to get frustrated. "You know, I can take care of myself, John." "Nikki, you're four months pregnant. With twins. If someone attacked you, do you really think you'd be able to outrun them or fight back effectively?"

She removed her hand from John's and balled her hands into fists on her lap. "I'm pregnant, I'm not incompetent."

John shook his head again, he was starting to get frustrated as well. "I just don't want you or the babies to get hurt. It seems like every time we go back to Earth, something happens. I just want to steer clear of as much danger as possible until you've had the babies."

"John, we're in the Pegasus galaxy. Everywhere is as much dangerous as going back to Earth. And it's not like you're going to let me do anything once they're born anyway."

His brow furrowed. "Let you do anything? Nikki, where is all of this coming from?" She shook her head and stood up to leave. "Like you don't know." John stood up as well. He was about to fire back, but then he realized they were in the middle of the mess hall and weren't exactly whispering. "How about we take this somewhere else? Somewhere more private?"

"Fine." She turned and walked towards one of the balconies, the one farthest away from anyone in the mess hall. Everyone at their table watched them walk away.

Teyla turned to Ronon. "What was that all about?" He shook his head, and they continued to watch their friends, worried.

John put his hands on the railing and looked out over the city, taking deep breaths. Nikki was still fuming next to him. "Nikki, what is going on?"

She turned to look at him. "I'm just tired of all of this, John. I'm tired of being afraid that something will happen if I take one wrong step. I'm tired of worrying about you every time you walk through the stargate, wondering if you'll come back. And now I have to worry every time I go back to Earth? The one place that was safe for me, and now it's not. How the hell do you think that makes me feel?"

"I will always come back, you know that. My team has my back just as much as I have theirs. I understand that it can be overwhelming-." "Oh really? Do you now? Are you carrying two human beings around with you everywhere you go 24/7? Do you have to worry about how you act and what you do? Do you have everyone watching you because you were knocked up by the Commanding Military Officer of Atlantis?"

He whipped around to face her. "You don't think everyone watches every step I make? I have everyone here and everyone back on Earth watching every move I make, criticizing me if I make the wrong decision. I can't afford to make the wrong decision. I'm the one who makes the life and death decisions, the one who puts his ass on the line for every person in the city, in this galaxy, and everyone back on Earth. I have to live with the fear that I might lose my job, my family. That I might lose you. I make decisions to protect you so that doesn't happen."

Nikki shook her head. "That doesn't have to be your job. You don't have to risk everything for everyone, you know. You have a family now. A family that…I don't know if your family could survive without you. How do you think every person sitting at that table would react if you died? Ronon would probably leave, so Amelia would be crushed. Teyla and Kanaan would go back to the Athosians. Lorne…he'd be put on the frontline and that would end his relationship with Kira in a heartbeat. Rodney? He'd probably never trust anyone ever again. And then there's me. The woman who's having your children. I don't want to have to explain to them one day why they have to grow up without a dad."

"So what are you saying? You want me to quit my job? Resign from the Air Force like my father always wanted me to do? What then? We go back to Earth and I find some boring job pushing papers and we become a normal family? Or would we stay here on Atlantis so you can help save the day while I become Mr. Mom? If I quit, those same things would happen to those people out there and you know it. Your job is just as dangerous as mine and you know that too. You never know what some of those Ancient devices could do. All I've asked of you is for you to take it easy, do some light work and not as much heavy, late into the night research. I would never ask you to do what you're asking me to do."

She was about to say something, but John cut her off. "If you really want me to resign, fine. I'll do it for my family and their safety. We can be a normal family. If that's really what you want."

John didn't wait for her to say anything. He walked away from the balcony, trying to hide the emotions he knew were flying across his face. He didn't even look in the direction of their table. Instead, he made a beeline for the door and left the mess hall.

Nikki stood on the balcony watching him leave. There were tears running down her face as she realized just what had happened.

Kira and Evan looked at each other. Evan stood up and moved to leave. "Where are you going?"

He turned back to her. "I'm going to make sure he's okay." He left the mess hall as Kira got up and walked over to Nikki. She pulled her into her arms and Nikki cried into her sister's shoulder.

Evan found John on an abandoned balcony a ways away from where anyone usually goes. He was leaning against the railing and staring out at the ocean. Evan walked up and slid his hands into his pockets, looking out at the ocean as well. He didn't say anything. He figured if John wanted to talk about it, he would.

"She wants me to resign." Evan looked over at John. He could see the conflict going across his face. "She made a damn good argument too."

"What are you going to do?" John stayed silent for a while, thinking. "I love Nikki more than I've loved anyone. I'm going to marry her and she's going to have my children. I guess that's all that needs to be said."

He looked down at his watch. They had to be in the gate room in ten minutes. "We have to be in the gate room soon. Come on."

John turned and walked off the balcony. Evan paused before he left too. He didn't want John to leave, but he understand why.

**SGA**

John and his team were searching a section of the city. He had split everyone into five groups. On his team were Lt. Cadman, Private O'Ryan, and Staff Sergeant Cooper. Evan had his own team of various military personnel, as did Ronon, Kira, and Stackhouse.

Each team searched their sections of the city and made detailed reports of everything they found. None of the teams found anything real interesting besides various labs, empty rooms, and living quarters, except Sheppard's team.

John and his team had found an empty room that looked like it had once been a ballroom or somewhere to host special occasions. One entire wall was just glass and it had an amazing view of the city.

For a moment, John forgot about the argument he had had with Nikki and thought about how this could be the perfect place for them to get married. The room was very large and could fit a lot of people. They could move benches or chairs in for people to sit. And they could be married right in front of this window with the beautiful city just beyond them.

And then he remembered this morning and all thoughts of the wedding being held in the city vanished. He didn't know when or where they would be getting married, but it probably wouldn't be here after the argument.

He made a note on the data pad that they carried to come back and inspect the room, just in case. And then he pushed all thoughts of the wedding out of his mind.

John looked down at his watch and noticed how late it had gotten. It was well past supper time already. He reached up and hit his com. "Major Lorne, this is Sheppard. Come in."

"Yes, sir?" "I think it's time we call it a day, major. We covered a significant amount of city and we can start this back up tomorrow."

"I agree, sir. Meet in the gate room at 08:00 hours?" John looked around at his team and nodded. "Yeah. Relay the message to the other teams and then head back. Sheppard out."

"Okay, time to call it a day. We'll meet up at 08:00 hours in the gate room tomorrow. Same routine."

They nodded and started back towards the central tower of the city. It didn't take too long until they found a transporter and were taken to the central tower. They walked to the locker room and took off their gear. They had been the first team back, so John waited for the rest to get back before he left. Evan walked in and nodded in John's direction. His team was the last to get back.

John nodded back and left the locker room. All he wanted to do was take a hot shower and crawl into bed. It had been a long and exhausting day.

John entered his quarters and heard the shower running. He sighed and moved over to the bed and sat down.

He took off his boots and his socks and then moved over to his desk. He took off his side holster and laid it on the desk. Then he took off his jacket and draped it over the back of the chair. He almost left his com in, but then decided against it. He didn't want to be bothered at the moment.

John was about to just go to bed when he heard soft sobs coming from the bathroom. The water was still running, so he stopped and walked into the bathroom. Nikki was in the shower, leaning up against the wall. She hadn't noticed him walk in and continued to cry.

When he saw what was going on, he didn't hesitate or take off his clothes. He pulled the curtain back and stepped into the shower. He wrapped his arms around Nikki and held her close to him. She started crying harder when he pulled her into him, so he turned her around so that she was facing him.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and cried into his chest. He held her, rubbing circles into her back to help her calm down, until she stopped crying.

Nikki didn't move away from him when she started talking. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean it."

John kissed the top of her head and held her tighter. "What you said was true though. You were right." She shook her head and looked up at him. "No, I wasn't. I don't want you to resign, John. I'm proud to be marrying the military commander. Yeah, it comes with its downsides, but what doesn't? You can't resign. This city needs you. This galaxy needs you."

"So does my family." She nodded. "Yeah, it does, but I know you'll do everything in your power to come back to us. And if you can't, then we'll get through it. I don't know how, but we're surrounded by family. This whole city is like one big family. I know I'm not alone. And you were right, my job is dangerous too. So, I have a proposition for you as long as you don't resign or leave Atlantis."

He chuckled and touched his forehead to hers. "And what's that?" "I'll be more careful and take it easy, if you promise to do everything you possibly can to come back."

John looked into her eyes. "You're sure you don't want me to resign? You're my family and I'll do whatever you want me to." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I don't want you to. I want you to be happy and here, you are happy."

He smiled and his lips met hers for a moment before he pulled away slightly. "Then I promise. It's a deal."

Her face brightened and she brought her lips back to his. They stayed that way for a while until he broke away. "How about we move out of the shower, get dried off, and then go lay in bed together?"

She nodded and watched him move around her to shut the water off. She opened the curtain and stepped out of the shower. He stepped out after her and grabbed a towel for her. She wrapped it around herself and walked out of the bathroom.

John grabbed a clean, dry pair of sweatpants and changed out of his wet clothes into the sweatpants. Nikki was sitting on the side of the bed, brushing out her hair. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her. She looked up at him and smiled.

John leaned back and pulled the covers away on the other side of the bed. He stood up and looked down at her. He had a devilish smile on his face as he swooped down and picked her up. She gasped and then started laughing when she realized what he was doing.

He walked around to the other side of the bed and laid her down. He laid down next to her, pulled the covers up over them, and then shut the lights off.

She giggled as his hand moved up her leg and rested on her belly. She snuggled in closer to him and they fell asleep in each other's arms.


	23. This is Jessie, My Daughter.

**Chapter 23**

Jessie stared at the papers she held in her hands. The words just couldn't be true, but a part of her knew they were. Her entire life, she felt like she didn't belong. Of course, everyone told her that was just a teenager thing and that it would pass. It didn't.

Now she was sitting across from her…from the people she called her parents. She was staring down at her own adoption papers and a letter from her…from her real mother saying she wanted nothing to do with her. "Why wasn't I told this before?" She looked up at them with piercing hazel eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that I was adopted?"

They looked at each other, and then back at her. "We didn't know how to tell you. But you're an adult now. You deserved to know. It's up to you on what you do with the information."

Jessie shook her head. "This letter is telling me my mother wants nothing to do with me. What am I supposed to do with that?"

"Your mother may not, but it doesn't say anything about your father not wanting anything to do with you. From what we were told, he wasn't given a decision in the matter. You should find him."

She nodded and stared down at the papers some more. The name of her father was written on the paper. That's all her parents were. Just names on a piece of paper. She was determined to find him, no matter what it took.

**SGA**

Dave looked around the SGC. This was the last time he and his family would be on Earth for a while. They were finally moving to Atlantis. Along with several other people including McKay's sister and her family.

Carrigan was probably the most excited out of all of them. She hadn't stopped talking about moving to Atlantis since they had asked her and Jayden. Jayden was just excited to be able to use all the technology and fly in the puddle jumpers. The last time they had been there, John had taken him for a ride in one of the jumpers and he had loved every second of it. Now he knew why his uncle loved to fly so much.

His father had explained to them what John had told him about them all having some gene that would allow them to use the technology. That had been his selling point on the matter.

The stargate started to dial and the chevrons locked into place. Dave looked down at his children. "Okay, it's time to go to our new home." General O'Neill's voice came over the speakers. "Good luck to everyone on Atlantis and…have fun. You have a go."

They picked up their bags and moved up the ramp and through the stargate. Most of their belongings would be coming on the Daedalus.

John and Dr. Weir were standing in the gate room to meet everyone who would be moving there. As soon as John saw Dave and his family emerge through the gate, he smiled at them and nodded.

Dave nodded and moved his family out of the way of the people still coming through the gate. He moved them off to the side of the room. John stepped closer to them and greeted his family. "Welcome to Atlantis." Carrigan was jumping up and down in excitement and ran up to her uncle, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Uncle John! I missed you! I can't believe we're moving here! Where's Aunt Nikki? Is she here too?"

John looked up at Becca and Dave when she had called Nikki her aunt. Becca started laughing and shrugged. "She asked us what to call her and since you're marrying her…" John looked down at Carrigan and smiled. "Yes, she's here. She's in her lab right now though. You'll see her in a little bit, if that's okay with you." Carrigan nodded and let go of John, moving to stand next to her brother.

Jayden was quiet as he took in his surroundings. It had been a while since they'd been there, but he remembered it like it had been yesterday. It's hard to forget what something like the lost city of Atlantis looks like. Even if you try.

John turned and looked as the stargate disengaged. "I'll be right back." He moved back over to stand next to Elizabeth as she began talking to everyone who had just arrived.

"Hello, for those of you who don't know me, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I'm in charge of this expedition. This is Colonel John Sheppard. He's the Commanding Military Officer here and in charge of everyone's safety. I'm glad that you all decided to come live in this beautiful city and that you made it here safely. We have assigned living quarters for all of you in different areas of the city. I hope that you find living here as wonderful as we have. Tonight, we have prepared a party to reunite you with your loved ones. Many of them are on-duty or off-world right now so you'll be using this time to get settled into your new home. The party will be held in the mess hall. We'll show you where the mess hall and infirmary are and each of you will be given a radio in case you need to get ahold of anyone. If there are any questions, the Colonel will be more than happy to answer them for you. My office is just up there in case anyone needs me. Welcome to Atlantis."

She smiled at John and then moved out of the gate room, and up to her office. He reached up and hit his com as people started to gather their belongings from having set them down after coming through the gate. "Dr. McKay and assigned military personnel, please report to the gate room. They have arrived."

"Several military personnel will be showing you where each of your quarters are and giving you a radio. In each set of quarters, there is a display that will show you where everything is, including the mess hall, the infirmary, and all of the recreational rooms. They should be able to answer any questions you may have. If not, I'm sure I or any of the senior staff will be able to answer your questions. If you have any questions at any time, please radio or e-mail myself, Dr. Weir, Teyla Emmagen, Drs. Beckett or Keller from the infirmary, or Drs. McKay, Zalenka, or Teagan from the Science department. We are more than willing to help. And if you get lost, don't worry about it. We all have two or three times."

John turned as McKay and the officers walked into the gate room. "Ah, here they are. Rodney, you'll obviously be showing your family where their quarters are. As for the rest of you, you've all been assigned who you'll be escorting. Any problems, let me know. Have fun."

John turned and walked back to his family as Rodney walked over to his sister, brother-in-law and niece.

"Nice speech, little brother." John smirked and nodded. "Thanks. Well, I have the easiest job. Well, besides McKay that is. Do you all remember where everything is?"

Dave and Becca nodded. "Okay, then let's head on over to your quarters. They're actually not that far from the new quarters that Nikki and I have found, so we'll be close in case you need anything."

Dave nodded as he matched pace with his brother. Becca was helping the kids behind them. "So, how have you been since the last time we talked?"

John looked sideways at his brother. "Okay. It's been hectic around here trying to get things done before everyone showed up. People have been a little on edge, but that should ease tonight at the party." Dave nodded. They made small talk as they walked through the hallways to their new home.

**SGA**

"There isn't much information on this name. We've run it through several filters and have only come up with little information. The last filter we're going to run it through is a military one. Are you or your adopted parents associated with any branch of the military?"

Jessie looked down at the papers she held in her hand. "Yes, I joined the Air Force last year." The woman nodded and continued to make small talk as she ran the name through a military filter. "Ah, here we go. Your father is also in the military. Actually, he's in the Air Force. What a coincidence."

Jessie looked up at the woman who was helping her find her father. "Really? Does it say where he's stationed?" The woman read over all of the information she was able to pull up. "No, it doesn't. It says he  _was_  station-." The phone started to ring, cutting her off mid-sentence.

She frowned and picked up the phone. "Hello?" After a moment, her brow furrowed and she looked up at the girl sitting in front of her. "I am an adoption agent trying to find a young girl's father. She recently came across her adoption papers and is trying to find him."

Another moment passed and the woman grew more confused. "Jessica Samuels. Yes, Air Force. Yes, that is his name. Do you know how I can get ahold of him?" Jessie was becoming very impatient. She was never very good at waiting.

The woman nodded and started scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "Yes. Yes, I'll be sure to send her that way. Thank you, General. Mhm. Have a nice-." She looked at the phone and shook her head. She set the phone down and looked up at the girl.

"That was General Jack O'Neill of the Air Force. He wants you to report to Cheyenne Mountain complex immediately. That's all he would tell me." She nodded her thanks and stood to leave.

She was one-step closer to finding her father.

**SGA**

John walked into Nikki's lab and watched her work. She hadn't noticed him come in and continued to pour over the readings they had just received about the power levels in the city. It seemed to be holding up nicely just as they had hoped.

He smiled and moved to stand behind her. "Whatcha workin' on?" She jumped a little and spun to look at him. She relaxed and rolled her eyes when she saw that it was him. "Just looking over the power readings. What are you doing here? I thought you'd be with Dave and his family."

John nodded. "I was. I just left there, actually. I left to let them get settled in. Carri kept asking me when she'd get to see Aunt Nikki though."

Nikki's face lit up. "She calls me Aunt Nikki?" John smiled and nodded. "Apparently she asked Becca what to call you and she told her to call you Aunt Nikki since we're getting married. That was one of the first things she said to me when they got here too."

Nikki's smile widened. "I don't think there's anything you could possibly say to make my day more than that did." John wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "Not even if I say that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on and that I'm the luckiest man alive to have you all to myself?"

Nikki giggled. "Okay, maybe that can too." John's smile widened and he leaned in to kiss her. No one else was in the lab, so he wasn't too worried about on-lookers. He broke away after a few moments. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have a meeting I'm probably late for. I'll see you at lunch?" Nikki smiled and pecked him on the lips one last time before he left the lab. She turned back to the readings, but not before wishing it were lunchtime already.

**SGA**

The guard stopped her at the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain. "ID?" She pulled out her wallet and handed him her military ID. "I was told to meet General Jack O'Neill here."

The guard nodded and gave her directions on where to go. She moved into the complex and entered the elevator. She hit the button the man had told her to hit and waited as the elevator brought her down farther into the mountain.

The doors opened and there was another guard sitting at a desk. She moved to stand in front of the desk and handed him her ID. He looked it over and then looked back up at her. "The general is waiting for you in his office. Follow the corridor down that way. You're going to take a left, two rights, another left, and then you're at his office. If you need help, stop and ask someone."

She nodded as she took her ID back from him and moved in the direction he had told her to go. Surprisingly, she didn't get lost. She arrived in front of a door that had a plaque next to it reading General Jack O'Neill. She knocked once on the door before she heard a man calling her in.

Jessie opened the door and stepped inside. A man with gray-white hair in uniform stood up from behind his desk. She immediately saluted him. "At ease, Sergeant. Have a seat."

She complied and sat down in the chair in front of his desk as he sat back down. "So, I'm assuming you're Jessica Samuels?" She nodded and waited for him to continue. "From what I've been told, you recently found out you were adopted as a baby, found out who your father is, and are attempting to find him. Is that correct?"

"That's correct, sir." He nodded and looked down at some papers that were on his desk. "I don't normally do this with the lower ranks, but under these circumstances…I'll let it pass. I'm giving you security clearance, Ssgt. There are things here that you'll need to be made aware of before you'll be able to be introduced to your father."

"Sir, is he here?" He looked up at her. "No, he's stationed on a base somewhere else, but we'll get to that in a minute. Right now I'm going to inform you on what exactly happens in this facility. You are not to discuss anything I tell you with anyone who doesn't have high enough security clearance. Everyone on this base and the base you'll be going to require security clearance just to know that either place exist, is that understood?" She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, let's start with the basics. Welcome to Stargate Command." He proceeded to explain to her what a stargate is and what exactly they do on the base.

"So…what you're telling me is that you have a device called a…stargate that allows you to travel to other worlds…? I feel like I'm in an episode of Star Trek." He nodded and watched her reaction. "Let me ask you something, why did you become a pilot?"

"Because I think people who don't want to fly are crazy." O'Neill smiled. "And I think people who don't want to go through the Stargate are equally as whacked."

O'Neill through briefly back to the first time he had said that. It was like deja vu.

"Your father is stationed on a base in another galaxy. The stargate allows us to get there with the help of a device called a ZPM. Don't ask me to go into detail about that, you'd have to ask a scientist. Not my area of expertise. Have you ever heard of the Lost City of Atlantis?"

Jessie nodded, remembering the Greek mythology about the city. "The city that was struck down by Zeus?" Jack shrugged. "Sure, I don't know the mythology, but the city is real, believe it or not. Our theory is that the Greeks heard about it from some surviving Ancients. Ancients are the ones who built the stargate and Atlantis. The Greeks got it wrong though, the city is in a galaxy called Pegasus."

Jessie let all the information sink in. She had always been fascinated by Greek mythology, especially the stories of Atlantis and its mysterious disappearance. "Okay, so you're saying that my father is in another galaxy serving on a base made my people who designed a device that allows people to move between galaxies. Interesting. If you don't mind me asking, why was he assigned something like that?"

"Your father has a certain gene that we've found is quite rare. We call it the ATA gene, or Ancient Technology Activation. There is a lot of technology that the Ancients made that requires this gene to operate it. Your father possesses that gene and was needed on the expedition."

She nodded. "How do you know if you have the gene?" "Before you leave for Atlantis, the doctors here at the SGC will take a blood test and run it to see if you have the gene."

She paused. "You're sending me to Atlantis? I'm going to travel to another galaxy?" He nodded. "That is, if you still wish to meet your father. I can tell you he's an incredible man and you'd be missing out if you don't go, but it's your choice."

Jessie nodded. She had already made up her mind that she would find him no matter what. Even if it meant traveling to another galaxy.

**SGA**

John was sitting in the mess hall with Ronon and Teyla. They were the only ones from their group that had showed up for lunch so far. There was a lot to do around the city with a lot of new people arriving and settling into their new home.

"So, John, how are Dave and his family settling into their quarters?" John looked up from his sandwich. "Fine. I was there for a while, but I left them alone to get settled. I told them how to reach me on the radio if they needed me, but so far it's been silent."

Teyla nodded. "I am glad to hear that. Will they be a part of the festivities tonight?" He nodded as he finished his sandwich and washed it down with some water. "Nikki and I are meeting them in their quarters and coming together. She thought it would be nice to come as a family."

Teyla smiled. "I think that is a wonderful idea." She turned and looked at Ronon. "What about Amelia? Will she be joining us?" Ronon nodded around his sandwich. "She's off-duty right as it starts, so we'll be late." Teyla nodded. John and Ronon were quiet and she was trying to keep a conversation going. She was about to say something else when John's hand went up to his com.

"Sheppard here." Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances. It was rare that Sheppard got through a meal without getting a call on his radio.

"Sir, General O'Neill and someone else are here for you. They said to meet them in Dr. Weir's office." Sheppard's brow furrowed. "Copy that. I'm on my way. Sheppard out."

He looked up at his friends. "O'Neill is here and wants to see me. I guess he has someone with him. I gotta go. Tell Nikki I'll see her back in our quarters later." Teyla nodded as he left the table.

**SGA**

Jessie sat in the infirmary, waiting for the doctor to get the test results back. She walked into the room and walked straight over to the bed Jessie was sitting on. "Well, we got the results back. You do have the ATA gene and a quite powerful one at that. I've only met two others whose gene was as strong as yours."

She nodded and looked up as O'Neill walked in. "So, what's the verdict?" The doctor turned and looked at him. "She has the gene. And it's very powerful."

Jack nodded and looked at Jessie. "Yeah, I figured it would be." Jessie's brow furrowed, but before she could ask him what he meant by that, he had started talking. "Okay, I'm hoping you brought a bag with you?" She nodded. She had moved out of her parent's house earlier that day and was in the process of trying to find somewhere to live.

"Everything I own is in my car outside." He nodded. "Well, go pack a bag with enough for a few days at least, and meet me in my office when you're done." She nodded and left the infirmary.

Somehow she managed to get back to the surface without getting lost. She had always had a good sense of direction. Jessie walked over to her car, unlocked it, and threw everything she would need for a few days into one bag. She shut the door, locked it, and made her way back to the SGC.

Of course, they had to check her bag for weapons and such before she could go back in, but she finally made it down into the base and into O'Neill's office. When she walked in, he was just getting off the phone.

"Well, looks like you're all set. Let's head down to the control room."

They walked down to the control room in silence. Neither really knew what to say. Jack walked up the stairs to the control room and looked at Samantha Carter who was sitting in front of a computer. "Sam, dial Atlantis. I'll be escorting the Staff Sergeant and should be back soon."

She nodded and started the dialing sequence as they moved down into the gate room. He looked down at Jessie as she watched the Stargate. "Do you know what he looks like?"

Jessie looked up at him. "No. All I have to go on is his name."

He nodded and looked up at the stargate as the chevrons locked. "I'm sure you'll recognize him as soon as you see him."

She smiled and watched the gate settle to what looked like a puddle of water. "Dr. Weir has been informed of your arrival, sir. You have a go." "Thank you, Sam! See you in a bit!"

They walked up the ramp together, but she stopped right before they went through. "Does it hurt?"

"Not at all. I actually enjoy it myself." He stepped through the gate and she followed him.

They emerged through the gate and she took in the site before her. It was amazing. A woman was walking down the stairs directly ahead of them towards them.

"General, it's nice to see you again. What do I owe the pleasure?" General smiled at the woman. "Likewise, Dr. I'm here to introduce this young lady to her father. She recently found out that she was adopted as a baby. An adoption agent ran his name and flags popped up in the SGC. She's been given security clearance and briefed on the Stargate Program."

The woman nodded and turned to look at Jessie. "Hello, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Weir. I'm in charge of this expedition." Jessie stuck out her hand, which Elizabeth accepted and shook. "Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "Well, Dr., would you mind escorting the sergeant to the conference room while I go inform the control room to have her father sent up? You mind if I use your office to debrief him before the introduction?"

Elizabeth nodded and walked with Jessie up the stairs. They turned to the left and walked into the conference room. She set her bag down next to the wall and then sat down on the end of the table. Elizabeth sat down next to Jessie and answered her questions about Atlantis and the Stargate Program.

Jack stood in Weir's office, waiting for him to get there. He heard the door slide open and turned to see who had walked in. "Ah, Sheppard. Just the man I wanted to see."

"Yes, sir. What can I do for you?" "You may want to take a seat, Sheppard. What I'm about to tell you is one hell of a story."

John's brow furrowed, but he sat down in one of the chairs. "Earlier today at the SGC, we got a flag that someone was searching the military database for information regarding you. I made a call and found out a story that lead someone to my office where I gave them security clearance and briefed them on everything Stargate. Before they got to my office, I did some digging. It turns out that her story is accurate and I highly doubt you knew anything about it."

"Sir, what are you talking about?" Jack glanced towards the conference room, and then looked back at John. "John, there's a young woman in the conference room by the name of Jessica Samuels. Does that name ring a bell to you at all?"

John sat there and wracked his mind for that name. "No, it doesn't. Should it?" Jack sighed. "Well, Colonel, she's a staff sergeant in the Air Force and she's also your daughter."

John's mouth opened slightly and eyes widened. He was speechless for a moment trying to wrap his mind around that chunk of information. "Sir, with all due respect, the only children I have haven't been born yet." O'Neill shook his head. "Nineteen years ago, Nancy got pregnant. From what I was able to dig up, she was in high school when it happened. Around the same time, her and her parents moved out of the country for about a year and then moved back to where they had lived previously. During that time, she had the baby and put her up for adoption. She made sure the baby was born in the States and was adopted in the States. She also made sure not to have anything to do with the baby once she was born. Your name was put on the birth certificate."

John thought back to that year during high school when he and Nancy were dating. One day she had told him that her dad had been transferred so she had to move out of the country for a while. Not even a year later, they moved back. She had been a little different, but he figured it was from living in Europe for almost a year. They had continued dating and a few years later, he joined the Air Force and then asked her to marry him.

"She never told me. I never knew…" He looked away and tried to process everything. "Yesterday her adopted parents told her she was adopted. They handed her the adoption papers along with her birth certificate that had your name on it. This morning she went to an adoption agency and tried to track you down. That's when the flags went up and I brought her here. She wanted to meet you and I figured you would want to meet her."

He nodded slowly, still not fully understanding what was happening. "What's going to happen now?"

"Well, that's up to you two. She's waiting to meet you in the conference room right now. If she wants to stay and if want her to as well, I'll get her assigned to the expedition. For now, why don't we go over there and you meet your daughter. She's eighteen-years-old and is pretty eager to meet you."

He looked up at Jack. "I don't even know what to say to her. How do I…I didn't even know she existed." Jack nodded. "I know. And she knows that too. Just…try to get to know her. Spend some time with her. She's a lot like you."

A small smile appeared on his face. "I have a daughter whom I've never met. An eighteen-year-old daughter. Wow."

"Yeah. That's what I thought too. Trust me, you'll see the family resemblance. Come on, let's go meet your daughter."

John nodded and followed O'Neill out of Weir's office. He was still in shock and didn't even register Ronon standing in the control room talking to Amelia until he literally ran into him.

"Whoah, Shep, watch where you're goin'." John looked up at Ronon. "Sorry, buddy. Didn't see you there."

Ronon stepped in front of him. "Didn't see me? What's going on?" John looked away from Ronon and over to the conference room. Jack stopped and looked back at John, watching him talk to his friend and giving him a minute.

John looked back up at Ronon. "I just found out…I'm still in shock. Listen, can we talk about this later? There's kind of something I need to do right now."

Ronon nodded and watched John walk away towards the conference room. He hit his com. "Nikki this is Ronon."

There was a pause before her voice came over his com. "What's up?" "Something's up with Shep. You know what it is?"

"What do you mean there's something up with him? Is he okay?" "He ran into me. Said he didn't see me. I asked what was going on and said he found something out that he was still in shock over. Said there was something he needed to do and walked away with O'Neill."

There was silence for a few moments. "I have no idea. He was fine earlier when he came to the lab. I'll talk to him about it when I see him."

John stopped outside the closed conference room doors. He still wasn't quite sure what to say. Jack looked over at him. "I'll get Dr. Weir and give the two of you some privacy." John nodded, still staring at the door. "Um, sir, who all knows about this?"

"You, me, and the Staff Sergeant." Sheppard finally looked over at Jack. "Elizabeth doesn't even know?" "Well, she probably knew once I told her that the girl's father is here."

Before John could ask him what he meant, he opened one of the doors and stepped through. He looked up at Elizabeth. "Dr. Weir, can you step outside please? I thought we'd give the two of them some privacy." Elizabeth nodded and looked down at Jessie before she got up. "It was nice to meet you, Jessie. If you need anything, my office is just across the walk from the control room." Jessie nodded, thanking her, and watched the two of them leave.

Dr. Weir stepped outside the conference room and looked up at a very nervous John. "Colonel. I had a feeling she was your daughter."

O'Neill and Elizabeth walked away before he could ask what she meant. They seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. He took a deep breath and then moved through the door and into the conference room.

When John walked into the conference room, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Jessie sitting there. She was a spitting image of him. She had chin-length black hair with hazel eyes. She had his nose, cheekbones, chin, you name it. She didn't look anything like Nancy. She was a female version of John Sheppard.

There was definitely no mistaking the relation. Jessie looked up as he walked in and gasped. It was like looking into a mirror. Her adopted parents had looked nothing like her and she had always wondered where she got her looks. Now she knew.

Their eyes met and locked. Neither really knew what to say. John was first to break the silence. He stepped closer to her and extended his hand. "Colonel John Sheppard." Her eyes widened when she heard colonel. She accepted his hand and shook, but she didn't let go. "Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. But you can call me Jessie."

John smiled his crooked smile and nodded. "Well, it's nice to…finally meet you." She smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm sorry to surprise you like this, but I just found out myself." He nodded in understanding. "It's quite alright. I'm glad you came." She stood up, still holding his hand. After a moment, she dropped it and then wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close.

Slowly, he lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist. "I know I only just met you…but this seems right. I feel like I finally belong somewhere." John's smile grew and he hugged her tighter. He didn't say it, but it felt right to him too.

She let go and stepped back. "So, shall we sit and talk for a while?" He nodded and sat down next to her where Dr. Weir had been sitting.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Jessie looked down at her hands. "Um, if you don't mind, I'd to know about my mom. And please, don't sugarcoat it. I'll know if you're lying. I just want to know why she would just put me up for adoption with a note saying she wants nothing to do with me."

John nodded and tried to find a place to start. "I met your mother in high school. We started dating not too long afterwards. She was my high school sweetheart. She was sixteen when she left. She told me that her dad got transferred out of the country. Almost a year later, she was back. We had stayed in touch the entire time she was gone and immediately started dating again. She didn't tell me the real reason why she had left. Never even hinted at it. While she was gone, I had joined the Air Force. About two years later, I asked her to marry me. But that only lasted a few years. We tried to have kids, but nothing would work. I told her that if she got pregnant, I would leave the Air Force like she wanted me to, but she never did. She blamed me for it and it tore apart our marriage. She asked me for a divorce and I accepted. All the fighting we did…there was nothing to fix."

Jessie nodded, taking it all in. "So what happened to her after the divorce? Do you know?"

John took a breath and wondered if he should tell her everything that had happened to her mother. Finally, he decided it was best she know the truth and she was old enough to understand.

"She married a guy named Grant. They were happy for a while, or so she told me. After the divorce I didn't see her for about ten years. The next time I saw her was at my father's wake. She decided to pay her respects. She seemed happy. And then a few months later I ran into her again when my brother, your uncle, Dave, got into an accident and went into a coma. I went back to Earth and ran into her at the hospital. We argued and she blamed me for her and Grant's divorce and then again for never having children. About four months later, I went back to Earth with…with my fiancée, Nikki. Nancy had her and my sister-in-law, Dave's wife, Becca, kidnapped. We got there right as she was injecting Nikki with a drug call diphenhydramine. It knocked her unconscious and we almost lost her. She woke up a few days later with a mild case of amnesia which she recovered from a few days later. Nancy went to prison for child endangerment, kidnapping, and some other charges. That was just over a month ago."

Jessie sat back in her chair. "Wow. My mother had two people kidnapped and then almost killed them. Wait, you said child endangerment?"

John smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Nikki's pregnant. With twins." Jessie's jaw dropped. "So, wait, does that mean I'll be a big sister or…?" His smile grew and he nodded. "She's five months along." "You said she was your fiancée when this all happened? When's the wedding?"

"In a month. We want to be married before the twins are born." Jessie nodded and a smile graced her face. "So, tell me about Nikki. She has to be better than Nancy." John nodded. "Yes, definitely. Nikki is an astrophysicist and has a medical degree. She's the third top scientist here, but that's only because she hasn't been here long. She has a twin sister named Kira and an older brother named Alex. Kira is a major in the Air Force, and Alex is a botanist. Both of them are here as well. She's incredible. You're going to love her."

Jessie nodded. "I'm sure I will. Is there anyone else I need to know about?"

"My brother Dave recently moved to the city with his wife, Becca, and their children, Carrigan and Jayden. Actually, they just got here today. Major Evan Lorne is my second in command and practically my brother. My team, Dr. Rodney McKay-top scientist, Ronon Dex-um…from a planet here in the Pegasus galaxy, you'll like him, and Teyla Emmagen-also from the Pegasus galaxy. She's the leader of her people, called the Athosians. You'll like her too. Dr. Carson Beckett and Dr. Jennifer Keller are the chief medical officers, and good friends. Rodney's kind of obnoxious and arrogant, but you'll get used to him. Ronon…he's intimidating at first, but he's a great guy. Teyla is one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. Kira, well, she's a lot like Nikki, very outspoken too. Our group is like a family. You'll fit right in here. That is, if you decide to stay."

She looked up at her father. "I want to, but if you don't want me to, I understand." He shook his head. "Jess, I just met you. I just found out I have an eighteen-year-old daughter who's in the Air Force. Of course I want you to stay."

Her smile grew. She never let anyone call her Jess because it annoyed the hell out of her, but she kind of liked it when he called her that.

"So, what do I call you? I mean…it's kind of weird to call you sir or Colonel…" John chuckled. "Yeah, that'd be weird. Call me anything you feel comfortable with."

"What about dad?" His chest swelled at her question. "I would love that." "Okay then, Dad, is there a mess hall or something around here where we can get some food? I haven't eaten since this morning."

"Yeah, we can go to the mess hall. Maybe some of the people I mentioned will be there still. You can meet them." She nodded. "I'd love that." She moved to pick up her bag, but he beat her to it. He slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the conference room.

She followed him as they walked over to the control room. Amelia looked up as he got closer. "Amelia, can you have this brought to my quarters, please?" She nodded and stared at the girl behind him, in shock. "Oh, Amelia, this is Jess. Jess, this is Amelia. Ronon's girlfriend."

She nodded and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Amelia." Amelia shook her hand and smiled. "Same to you. I'll have it brought to your quarters right away, sir."

He nodded his thanks and they moved out of the control room and towards the mess hall. "So, she calls you sir and you have a second in command? But, Dr. Weir said she's in charge here. So what does that make you?"

"I'm the Commanding Military Officer here. Dr. Weir is in charge of everything else."

Jessie stopped and stared at her father. "My father is the commanding military officer of an alien base in another galaxy. This day just keeps getting weirder. And cooler. I still feel like I'm in an episode of Star Trek."

His face brightened. "Which series?" They continued on to the mess hall talking about Star Trek and different things about Atlantis. They walked in and got in line for food. He had already eaten, so all he got was a cup of coffee. They walked out of line and John spotted his group towards the back of the mess hall, right where he had left them.

Nikki, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Lorne, and Kira were all sitting around the tables talking and finishing up their lunch. John guessed that Ronon had gone back to the mess hall to ask them about his mysterious behavior a little bit ago in the control room.

"Okay, none of them know about you. Ronon is suspicious because I ran into him right before I walked into the conference room and I was still in shock, hell I'm still in shock now. Most of the people I told you about are over there. Are you ready for this? You don't have to meet them now." She nodded. "I want to meet them. Let's go."

She started in their direction and all John could do was roll his eyes, chuckle and follow her. Everyone looked up as they approached the table. Kira's mouth practically dropped when she saw the resemblance between the two and the rest tried, and failed, to hide their shock.

John shifted uncomfortably and took a seat next to Nikki. Jessie sat down next to him and looked at him. "Jess, this is Rodney, Ronon, Teyla, Kira, Lorne, and Nikki. Guys, this is Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels. My daughter."

Everyone stayed silent as they stared at John. Nikki was the first one to break the silence. "Wait, what?" John turned and looked at her. "I know, I just found out. Hell, both of us just found out. It turns out Nancy got pregnant back in high school, moved out of the country to hide it from me, put her up for adoption, and never told me about it. O'Neill just brought her here a little bit ago."

Nikki nodded and looked at Jess. She smiled at her. "This is quite a surprise. It's nice to meet you." Jess smiled at the woman. "You must be dad's fiancée." Nikki's smile widened and she nodded. Rodney kept looking back and forth between Jessie and John. John caught him staring.

"Okay, McKay. Let's have it." Rodney's eyes locked on John's. "You have a long-lost daughter who looks exactly like you. The female version of John Sheppard. She's in the military, just like you. Talks just like you. Walks just like you. She's your mini me."

"You done?" McKay started sputtering but stopped when Ronon kicked him underneath the table. "Yeah. I'm done." "Good." Ronon looked up at him. "So, Shep, this is what was going on when you ran into me." John nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that, buddy. I was kind of distracted." "I noticed."

John nodded and took a sip of his coffee. Teyla smiled at Jessie. "It is a pleasure to meet anyone in John's family. We have become like a family ourselves and you are more than welcome here."

Jessie smiled "Thank you." And then looked up at John. "You were right. I do like her." Teyla's smile grew as she looked at John with a raised eyebrow. "What? I was right, wasn't I?" She simply rolled her eyes and sipped her tea.

"Well, it's nice to meet the people that dad calls family. He spoke highly of all of you." John kind of blushed as everyone looked at him. Ronon smiled. "What'd you say about me, Shep?"

John looked up at him. "Guess you'll never know, Chewie." "You call him Chewie? I can see it."

Rodney snorted and Lorne started laughing. "She's definitely a Sheppard!" John smiled at Lorne and nodded. "You should hear her talk about Star Trek. She makes her old man proud." Evan started laughing again and looked at Jessie. "This is going to be really interesting getting to know you and having two Sheppards around. I'm looking forward to this." She smiled and looked around at all of them. Kira still hadn't said anything, but Jessie could tell she was just trying to get a feel for her before she jumped into the conversation.

"So, when do I get to meet Uncle Dave?" John turned and looked at her. "Well, there's going to be a party tonight. We're going to their quarters before, so you can meet him then."

She nodded and started to eat her lunch. Their food was way better than the food she'd been living on her entire life. Her adopted mom wasn't the best cook.

Kira sat forward. "So, tell us about yourself." Jessie looked up at Kira. "Well, um…I graduated from high school when I was sixteen. I went to Stanford for a couple of years. I joined the Air Force when I turned seventeen. I love to read and am actually trying to get through War and Peace right now."

John almost choked on his coffee. "Seriously?" She nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's a good book."

He nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm reading it right now too. And I went to Stanford. And graduated early. And…joined when I was seventeen." His brow furrowed and their eyes locked. Nikki chuckled. "Looks like we really do have a mini Sheppard." John nodded again, his eyes still locked with Jessie's.

"Is there anything different about us?" She shrugged. "Guess you'll have to keep me around and find out."

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "I was already planning on it, remember?" She nodded. "Sure do! So, tell me more about you guys. I mean, I'm pretty much a younger version of my dad and it seems like you know him pretty well. So, what about you guys?"

They continued the rest of their lunch break talking about John's family and allowing Jessie to get to know them, feel comfortable with them. She now knew why her father was with Nikki. She was pretty cool.

"Okay, well, I have to get back to work. There are some things I need to take care of and a couple of meetings to attend." Jessie nodded and looked up at her dad. "What should I do? I don't really know my way around the city." Nikki leaned forward and smiled. "You can come hang out with me for a while if you want. I have to go back to my lab to check a few readings, but then I'm off-duty for the day." Jessie looked around John and smiled. "I would really love that, Nikki." Nikki nodded. "Well, it's settled then. Have you been to the infirmary yet?"

She shook her head. "I went to the infirmary at the SGC for them to see if I have the ATA gene, but as soon as I got here, I went to the conference room." John looked at her. "Do you have the gene?" She looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, the doctor said she's only seen two people have it as powerful as I do? General O'Neill said that it didn't surprise him." Rodney snorted and shook his head. "Like I said." Nikki nodded. "Okay, well I have to go to the infirmary for a quick check-up. Beckett and Keller will have John's head if you don't get one too. They'll want a blood sample on record and you'll have to get a subdermal transmitter if you're going to stay."

"A subdermal transmitter?" Nikki nodded, but before she could go into detail, John interrupted. "Well, I'd love to stay in chat, but duty calls. I'll see you all later. And have fun you two." He leaned over and pecked Nikki on the lips before he got up and walked away, shooting Jessie a quick smile as well.

Nikki looked back at Jessie. "Everyone on Atlantis has a subdermal transmitter in case something happens and we can track them or for sensor readings in the city. Like, if someone's not responding on the radio, we just have to calibrate the sensors properly and we can find out where they are. It's merely for safety purposes."

Jessie nodded. "I understand. Definitely smart too. Sounds good." Nikki smiled and looked at the group. "Well, we'll see you all later tonight." They nodded their goodbyes and left the mess hall.

They walked to Nikki's lab and she went over to her laptop to check the readings. "So, this is your lab?" Nikki glanced over at her and nodded. "Yep, that and my team's. I just have to check the readings from the zpms. We've been using them non-stop with all the people just moving in today and we've been trying to keep an eye on the levels just in case. We've never had the city at full power, so we don't want to overload anything, especially with so many people here now."

Jessie stepped closer. "What exactly is a zpm? General O'Neill told me to ask a scientist." Nikki laughed. "Yeah, he's not that knowledgeable about those things. A zpm is a zero-point module. The Ancients created them as their power source. They're rare to find, but somehow your father managed to stumble across ten of them. Well, I guess I shouldn't say stumble upon. More like fall through a floor into a hallway that lead right to them."

"He fell through a floor into a hallway that lead to ten of these zpms? Huh. Is he some kind of lucky charm or something?"

Nikki snorted. "Quite the opposite, actually. John and Evan are trouble magnets. Trouble follows those two around wherever they go. Makes things interesting with them being the top two military officers. Let's just say that it's rarely boring around here."

"Does he ever get hurt?" Nikki looked up at her. "Yeah, all the time. He puts his life on the line for everyone on his team, everyone on this base, and pretty much everyone in this galaxy as well as the milky way. He and Lorne have been in the infirmary more times than I can count. But they always get better. No matter what stupid, self-sacrificing stunt they pull. They always come back."

"You must worry about him a lot." She nodded. "Yeah, I do. But he promised me he'll always come back, and I'm holding him to that promise."

Jessie smiled and nodded, looking down at her hands. "So, tell me about him. What kind of leader is he?" Nikki closed her laptop and turned to look at her.  
"He's an amazing leader. The people who serve under him respect him more than I've ever seen anyone respect their commanding officer. He's more laidback than a lot of commanders, and that definitely earns him a lot of points being way out here and so far from home. He expects them to give one hundred percent when it's needed and he gives the same. He doesn't let his people pick up his slack. If anything, he picks up others' slack sometimes. In life and death situations, he keeps calm and thinks his way through the situation instead of going in guns blazing or having the mentality of shoot first, ask questions later. He actually uses his brain to solve problems. You should have seen the look on Rodney's face when he found out that John passed the Mensa test. It was priceless."

Jessie's eyes widened. "Dad passed the Mensa test?" Nikki smiled and nodded. "Yeah, back when he was in Stanford, I think. His dad made him take it, but he never joined."

Jessie nodded and looked down at her hands. "I took the test too. Last year. My…adopted parents kept telling me that it would help me get into a better school. Earn me more opportunities. I gave in and took it. And I passed even. I never joined either. It seemed kind of lame to me."

Nikki nodded. "So what about them? You don't really talk about them. And when you do…did something happen?"

She stayed quiet for a few moments. Nikki let her open up in her own time. Whatever it was, she didn't want to rush Jessie into talking about it. "My dad…my adopted dad…he's a real piece of work. He's an alcoholic. And not a friendly one either."

Nikki took a closer look at Jessie. That's when she noticed the scar going from just under her right ear and stretched under her shirt. She looked back up and met Jessie's eyes.

Jessie knew that Nikki had noticed the scar. She was surprised no one had noticed it this long.

"I was sixteen. He got drunk one night. Really drunk. He came home from the bar completely smashed and smelled like cheap perfume. Mom was furious. They got into an argument. It started out just as yelling, but then he shoved her against the wall. I ran around the corner when I heard the thud. He had pulled his knife out by the time I got into the room, but he had crossed the room, waving the knife around. Mom was sitting on the floor, scared, so I stepped in between them. He flipped and lunged for me. I dodged, and we fought. Mom got up and called 9-1-1 while he was distracted. I tried to get the knife away from him before he hurt someone or himself. He got me before I was able to move out of the way. Mom flipped when she saw the blood. Don't blame her, there was a lot of it.

I collapsed to the floor and tried to stop the bleeding. That didn't stop him though. He got my arm while I tried to defend myself. I lost too much blood by that point and I passed out. When I woke up in the hospital a couple of days later, I found out that he had also made a deep gash on my stomach. I almost died. The cops arrested him, but…my mom didn't even press charges. She let them release him and come live with us again. He told me if I ever told anyone, he would make sure I was dead before the cops showed up. A few months later, I turned seventeen, joined the Air Force, and got the hell out of there. I went back yesterday for the first time because mom begged me. Said she had things I needed to see. Things she needed to tell me. That's when I found out I had a real father. And not some drunk. I don't plan on going back either. A part of me is terrified that he'll hurt her. Like, really hurt her. But, another part of me…wonders if it's really my place to do anything about it, you know? I mean…she bailed him out of jail. She allowed him to threaten me. I don't know…I've never been in the position where I could actually do something about it and not get killed because of it."

Nikki's eyes were locked on hers. "You are now, Jessie. You're with your real family now and you're an entire galaxy away from him. If you want to press charges, make sure he goes away, just tell me."

Jessie looked up with fear glinting in her eye. "He threatened to kill me." "I know, but you're on Atlantis now. With your real dad and with a family that does anything and everything to protect each other. And that means you too. You're John's daughter. Even though we all just met you today, I can guarantee you that every one of those people you just met would do anything to protect you. If not for you, for John. And I am one of those people. I won't let anything happen to you. I don't know if John told you, but I can kick some ass myself. Well, when I'm not as big as a whale, that is. But John's a damn good fighter and has a lot of persuasion in the military because of his position here. You're safe, Jessie, I promise you that. John won't let anything happen to you. If anyone should know that, it should be you. You two are practically the same person."

She nodded and looked down at her hands. "This is the first time in years I actually feel safe. Okay. What do I do?" Nikki paused, thinking. "Do I have your permission to tell someone about this story?" Jessie's head snapped up and her eyes locked with Nikki's. "What do you mean?"

"I won't tell anyone this story unless you give me your consent. But if you give me your consent, I can get your mom the protection she needs. So, what do you say? Do I have your consent?"

Jessie nodded. "Okay, then I have an idea." She reached up and hit her com. "Teyla, this is Nikki, please come in."

"This is Teyla." "Teyla, can you meet me in my lab please? I need you to stay with Jessie for a while. There are some things I need to take care of immediately." "Of course. I will be right there. Teyla out."

Jessie looked at Nikki. "What are you going to do?" Nikki took a breath and locked eyes with her again. "I'm going to go make sure your story is heard by the right people and that things start happening to protect your mom." Jessie looked down at her hands. "She's not my mom. I don't have a mom. My adopted mom put my life in danger for God knows why. And my real mother…well, Dad told me. So, that's even worse."

Nikki reached over and grabbed her hand. "If you allow me to be, I would love to be your mom in time once you get to know me. I can guarantee you that I will never hurt you, your father, or your siblings. I love your father with all of my heart. I love the twins I'm carrying so much already and they're not even born yet. And I already love you. You're a part of my family now and from what I've gathered so far, you're an amazing young woman. And I'm proud to say you're in this family. And am so glad you found your father and came here."

A tear escaped down Jessie's cheek. She had never felt so welcome before. "Thank you. That means a lot." Nikki smiled and nodded. She looked up as Teyla walked in. "Teyla, thank you so much for coming." She looked down at Jessie. "If you need me, radio me, okay? If you remember anything more that they need to know, let me know. I'll be your voice through this so you're not put in danger. I'll be back as soon as I can." Jessie nodded her thanks again and watched Nikki get up and quickly leave the room.

Nikki walked as quickly as she could through the city towards Elizabeth's office. She entered the control room and went straight for her office. Only Elizabeth and John were in her office. She opened the door and they both turned to look at her.

"Nikki?" She focused on Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, we have a problem." They both tensed and stared at her. She finally looked at John. "It's Jessie. Yes, she's fine, don't freak out." Elizabeth beat John to ask the question.

"Nikki, what happened?" She looked up at Elizabeth. "We got to talking about things and I asked about her adopted parents." She looked at John with a look on her face that he couldn't quite read. "She told me a story about something that happened to her just over a year ago. Something that she's been trying to escape. And now she's here. In another galaxy. And I promised her that we'd keep her safe."

Her eyes locked with John's. "Have you noticed the scar the runs from her right ear to down under her shirt?" His brow furrowed, trying to remember. "Now that you mention it…I remember seeing it, but I guess I didn't think anything of it. I was more focused on the fact that I have a daughter, I guess."

She nodded. "I hadn't noticed it until I took a closer look at her after she hesitated to talk about them. She told me how she got that scar and two others. She almost died getting those scars."

"Almost died? What happened?" Nikki sat down in the chair next to John and grabbed his hand.

"Her adopted father is an alcoholic. One night, he came home drunk from the bar and got into a fight with her mom. He pushed her into the wall and Jessie stepped in between them. He pulled out his knife and they fought. The mom got away and called the cops. He cut her on the neck, on her arm, and there was a deep gas on her stomach. Her mom…she bailed that man out of jail. She didn't press charges. He told Jessie that if she ever told anyone, he'd make sure she was dead before the cops got there. As soon as she turned seventeen, she joined the Air Force and got out of there. She said that this is the first time in years she feels safe. John, she's worried that something will happen to that woman. We need to do something."

John nodded and looked at Elizabeth. She nodded as well. "What do you want to do, John?" He thought for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out what to do.

He reached up and hit his com. "Ronon, this is Sheppard. I need you to meet me in the gate room immediately." He stood up and started toward the control room. Nikki and Elizabeth shared a look and then followed him out of the office and into the control room. He had already given Amelia the order to dial the SGC. The gate dialed and the chevrons locked.

"Open a channel." She nodded when the channel opened. "This is Colonel John Sheppard. SGC, please come in."

There was a moment before the radio crackled. "This is Colonel Samantha Carter. What can I do for you, Colonel?"

"I need to speak with General O'Neill." "He's on his way." He turned and looked at Nikki. "If the General gives me permission, I'll be back as soon as I can, promise." She looked up at him and stepped closer. "Where are you going?"

"To protect my daughter." She nodded. "I understand. I'll tell her where you went. Just…don't be gone for too long. She needs her real father, John." He nodded and kissed her on the lips.

"General Jack O'Neill here. What can I do for you, Sheppard?" John pulled away. "Requesting permission for myself and Ronon to come through the gate, sir."

"Sure. Why not. This should be interesting. Iris is open. Come on through, Sheppard." John pecked Nikki's lips one more time before turning and going down the stairs. Ronon was standing in the middle of the gate room. John met up with him and they walked through together.

They walked through the gate and into the SGC. The gate shut down behind him as they walked down the ramp and met O'Neill and Mitchell at the bottom of the ramp. Jack nodded in their direction. "Colonel. May I ask what is the nature of this surprise visit?"

"General, Colonel. I have two favors to ask of you, sir." "You had to come all the way here to ask for favors?" He nodded. "Yes, sir." O'Neill looked at Mitchell and then back at John. "Well? What are they?"

"Sir, I want to put in a request that Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels be transferred to Atlantis." Jack nodded. "Done. Actually, I put in the paperwork as soon as I got back from there."

John smiled. "Yes, sir. Also, I would like to request…that the Ssgt's adopted father be arrested and that I could be there for that."

Jack was about to say something, but John's request completely threw him off guard. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Sir, Jessie told us about what he did to her and to her adopted mother and that man deserves to be behind bars. And I would like to be the one to put him there, sir." Jack looked at Mitchell. Mitchell shrugged and looked back at John. "Well, let's go do it then." John smiled, "Thank you, sir." "I expect you to fill me in on the way, Sheppard."

He nodded. "Yes, sir. As long as I get to be the one to put that sick bastard behind bars, I'll do just about anything."

They left the gate room and were on their way to go put John's daughter's adopted father behind bars and help John protect his family.


	24. This Is Where You Belong

**Chapter 24**

Nikki walked back into her lab and found Teyla telling Jessie a story about her father. They looked up as she walked in. "So, what's going on?"

Nikki walked over to the stool she'd been sitting on earlier and sat down to rest her feet for a moment. "Well, John and Ronon just went back to Earth. As soon as I told him, he called Ronon to the gate room and they booked it. He's going to have that man arrested and he wants to do it personally. John said he'll be back soon though."

Jessie nodded and looked down at her hands. "So, what do we do until he gets back?" Nikki thought about it for a moment. "Well, we still have to get you to the infirmary for a check-up and get a transmitter. Then we have to get ready for the party that's tonight. If your father doesn't make it back in time, the two of us will go meet Dave and the rest of them before we go to the party. Dave still doesn't know about you as far as I'm aware and we should introduce you to him before the party."

She nodded again and looked up at Nikki. She appreciated everything this woman was doing for her. She didn't have to do anything for her considering she just met her and she was the daughter of the woman who tried to kill Nikki.

Teyla smiled at Jessie. "I will leave you two now. I also have things to do before tonight. I will see you both at the party?"

Nikki and Jessie nodded. Nikki stood up and placed a hand on Teyla's arm. "Thank you so much for staying with her while I left to talk to John. I'll see you tonight."

Teyla nodded and left the room. "Well, I guess that's our cue to head to the infirmary. Shall we?"

Jess nodded and followed Nikki out of the lab and through the hallways of Atlantis. She was amazed at the size of the city. Nikki watched in amusement as Jessie stared in amazement at everything they passed.

"When your father gets back, I'll have him take you on a jumper ride around the city. You'll love it." Jess looked at her in confusion. "A jumper ride?"

She chuckled and nodded. "A puddle jumper. John named it when they first came to the city. It's a small ship that can fly through the air, underwater, and in space." "You're kidding, right? Yeah, he'll definitely have to take me on a ride in one."

Nikki smiled as they walked into the infirmary and were greeted by Dr. Beckett. "Nikki! Right on time for your check-up. And who is this?" He smiled warmly at Jessie and she returned the smile. "I'm Staff Sergeant Jessica Samuels."

"Well, Jessica, it's lovely to meet you. Are you new here?" She nodded. "I just got here today. I'll be moving here." "Will be? If you don't mind my asking, what you mean by that?"

Nikki smiled. "Jessie didn't know about the city until this morning. She came here shortly after finding out about its existence. She didn't know she'd be staying until after she arrived."

Carson nodded. "Well, I hope you like what you've seen so far. Since you'll be staying, I'll need to do a full check-up, get a blood sample, and give you a subdermal transmitter. It won't take long and then the both of you will be on yer way." Jessie nodded. "Thank you, Dr."

Carson smiled at her. "Call me Carson. Nikki, I'll have Jennifer do your check-up while I do hers. She's in her office."

Nikki nodded and turned to Jessie. "Will you be alright by yourself?" Jessie nodded and smiled. "I'll be fine. Just go make sure my little siblings are good to go." Nikki smiled and nodded before she left to go to Jennifer's office.

Carson had started to walk away, but stopped and turned back to her. "Did you see yer little siblings?"

Jessie turned to look at him and nodded. "Yeah. Um…you see, I'm John's daughter."

Carson was speechless for a moment. "John. As in Colonel John Sheppard?" Jessie nodded and waited for the realization to set in. "He has a daughter? How old are you, lassie?"

"I'm eighteen. It turns out my mom, um…Nancy, she got pregnant with me when they were in high school, left the country, had me, put me up for adoption, went back, and never told Dad. I just found out I was adopted yesterday."

He nodded, letting it all sink in. "Now that you mention it, you look a lot like him. I don't know why it's such a surprise. Afterall, your father is, well,  _was_  quite the lady's man before Nikki came along."

Jess's eyes widened a little. "Really? I guess that doesn't really surprise me. He seems like he has the attitude of a lady's man."

Carson chuckled as he moved through the infirmary and gathered what he needed for the check-up. They continued to talk throughout it.

"So, Jessica..." "You can call me Jessie."

Carson looked up for a moment, "Jessie. What made you join the military?"

Jess thought about it for a moment. "I don't really know. I guess I just felt like it was the right place for me to be. I joined a year ago. It turns out Dad joined when he was seventeen too."

Carson chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me. From what I know about his past, I'm sure he wanted to get away as fast as he could and combine that with his love for flying, well, it's a no-brainer to join the Air Force. What about school? Are you in college?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I graduated from high school a couple of years ago and got accepted at Stanford." Carson stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. "You graduated at sixteen? And then went to Stanford? If I remember correctly, the Colonel did as well."

"Yeah, he did. All the similarities are kind of weird, but kind of cool. I mean, I've never felt like I belonged anywhere. I always felt like the outsider. Then I came here and found my read dad. And then I found out that we shared similar pasts. Similar in a lot of ways. It makes me feel like I finally belong somewhere, you know?"

Carson smiled. "I know just how you feel. I always felt like I didn't quite belong either until I came here. We've formed a sort of family here. Have you met the Colonel's team yet?"

A smile lit up Jess's face and she nodded. "Yeah, Dad introduced me to them at lunch. I also met Evan Lorne and Kira. I met Dr. Weir when I got here and I'm going to meet Uncle Dave and his family before Nikki and I go to the party tonight." Carson nodded. "Seems like you've had a busy time since you've been here. I'm surprised your dad isn't here now."

Jess hesitated for a moment before answering. "Him and Ronon had to go back to Earth for a little while. Nikki said they'll be back soon."

Carson nodded, sensing her hesitation and not wanting to push her into finding out what was going on. "Well, you're in perfect health. I have a blood sample on record now and you have a transmitter. Nikki should be done soon with her check-up. One more question. What do you do for fun?"

Jess smiled. "You know, out of all the questions I've been asked today, that's a new one. I read a lot and write. I'm a photographer. I play tennis, soccer, and basketball. I draw sometimes, but I'm not that great. I wish I were."

Carson smiled. "You know, Major Lorne is an artist. Maybe he can give you a few pointers some time." Jess's face lit up. "He is? That would be great. I'll have to talk to him about it. He seems really nice. Everyone I've met here so far does too."

Beckett nodded, "Aye, there are a bunch of really nice people here. Really intelligent too. Earth's best, brightest, and bravest are here on Atlantis. Have you been on one of the jumpers yet?"

She shook her head sadly. "No, Nikki told me about them on the way over here. She said she's going to have Dad take me for a ride in one when he gets back. I can't wait. I love flying and the feeling of freedom you get."

Carson smiled again and nodded. "You're just like your father in a lot of ways. I can't wait to see the way you two act around each other."

Nikki walked into the room with Jennifer and interrupted their conversation. "This is who I was telling you about. Jessie, this is Dr. Jennifer Keller. Jennifer, this is Jessie, John's daughter."

Jennifer smiled at her and extended her hand. Jess shook it and smiled as well. "It's nice to meet you, Jessie. Are you liking the city so far?"

Jess nodded. "Yeah, I am. I can't wait to see more and meet more people. So far everyone I've met is so nice."

Jennifer smiled and nodded. Nikki smiled as well before saying, "Well, we should probably be going so we can get ready for the party. Are you ready to go?"

Jess nodded. Before she left, she turned towards the doctors. "It was really nice meeting both of you. I hope to see you tonight."

Carson and Jennifer watched her walk away with Nikki. Jennifer turned to Carson as soon as they left. "So that's John's daughter? And he just met her after eighteen years?"

"Aye, that's what she said. She said she found out she was adopted only yesterday. Can you imagine finding out your parents aren't actually your parents and then finding out your father lives in another galaxy and that your mother is a homicidal maniac that tried to kill your father's fiancée? That gives me a headache just thinking about it."

Jennifer nodded. "Makes for one hell of an introduction. I can't wait to see the two of them together. She looks so much like him. I've never seen what Nancy looks like, but I didn't see anything that wasn't John."

Carson nodded. "She has a lot of him in her. Even his ATA gene. The level of hers is just under Nikki and Kira's, I'm guessing."

"Well, when you have John Sheppard's DNA running through your body you're ATA gene is going to be pretty powerful." "Aye."

**SGA**

"Okay, well, I'm done getting ready. I wasn't sure what to wear…so I just grabbed the best jeans I brought with me and a cute top. I hope that's alright to wear…There's no dress code or anything, is there?"

Nikki laughed from behind the bathroom door. "That outfit should be just fine. The party is informal. It's just a way for everyone to relax all together for once. I don't know if anyone told you, but today a lot of people moved in and have been reunited with their family members that have been living here in the city. Most of them were on duty or off-world when they arrived, so the party is kind of like a reunion. You picked the perfect day to come to Atlantis, I might add."

Jess chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, it seems like it. When does the party start again?"

"It technically starts in two hours. We'll leave in a few minutes to go to Dave's. John told him this morning when they got here that him and I would be meeting him in their quarters before the party, so they're expecting us. Do you want me to radio him before we leave and tell him or do you just want to surprise him?"

Jess thought about that for a moment. "The look on people's faces when they see the resemblance is priceless, but you know him better than I do. Does he react well to surprises?"

Nikki was quiet for a few moments. "He did when we told them we're having children. And when we told them we're engaged. I'm sure it'll be fine if we surprise them."

The bathroom door opened and Nikki walked out. She had changed into more casual and comfortable clothes from her uniform and had done her hair. That was why she had been in the bathroom for so long.

She had curled her hair loosely in some spots and left it down. All day her hair had been up so Jess really got to see how beautiful her hair was now.

"Wow, you look beautiful." Nikki blushed and smiled. "Well thank you. So do you." Jess smiled and watched as she put on a pair of flats and put her com back on. "Oh, that reminds me. I got a com for you to wear."

She handed Jessie and ear piece and watcher her put it on. "If you need anything or get lost, just hit the com and radio someone." Jess nodded and put on her boots.

"Okay, I'm ready. Finally. Are you ready to go meet your uncle, aunt, and cousins?"

Jess nodded as she stood and walked into the living room. "I can't wait to meet them. Is Uncle Dave anything like Dad?"

Nikki chuckled and shook her head as she grabbed her jacket. "No, not really. Dave's more into the family business that their father started and John's more into the military."

Jessie nodded, letting the information settle. "What about the others? Becca, Jayden, and Carri? What are they like?"

"Well, Becca is amazing. She's really sweet and kind-hearted. Jayden, well, he's really quiet for his age, but really observative. And Carri..haha. Well, she's something else. She's hyper most of the time, but she's a sweet girl. A lot like her mother."

They left the quarters and walked down the hallway. They didn't have too far to go before Nikki stopped in front of a door and waved her hand over the sensor. There was a minute while they just stood there before the doors opened to reveal an averaged size man with dark hair wearing a business suit.

He smiled at Nikki, but when his eyes slid over to Jessie, he froze. He instantly saw the resemblance she shared with her father. He looked back at Nikki. "What's going on? Who's this?"

Nikki smiled, "Dave, this is Jessie. Jessie, this is Dave. Your uncle." Jessie smiled at him and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you." He slowly raised his hand and shook hers. "Excuse me…what?"

Nikki smiled shyly and slightly lowered her head. "If you don't mind us coming in, I'll explain everything while we sit down."

Dave nodded and moved away from the door. "Of course, of course. Come in. Make yourselves at home. Becca! Nikki's here!"

Nikki and Jess stepped into the room as Becca walked out of their bedroom. She smiled at Nikki and paused just as Dave had done when she saw Jess. Nikki smiled at her. "Becca, this is Jessie. Jessie, your Aunt Becca. Now, shall we sit and talk?"

Dave nodded as he moved over to one of the chairs and sat down. Nikki and Jessie sat on the couch while Becca moved to the arm of the chair Dave was sitting in. Becca looked back and forth between the two of them. "I don't understand. I didn't know John had any children. Any that were born anyway."

Nikki nodded. "I'll start at the beginning so it's less confusing. When John was in high school, he was dating Nancy. She got pregnant, but she didn't tell him. Her and her parents left throughout the duration of the pregnancy and she put Jessie up for adoption. They moved back and John had already joined the Air Force. Shortly after that, they got married. Well, yesterday Jessie found out that she was adopted and decided to find her real parents. Flags popped up at the SGC and General O'Neill had her sent there where he explained everything to her. He brought her here earlier today to meet John. John is having her transferred here, so she'll be staying."

Dave and Becca were in shock. That was a lot of information to take in all at once. Dave was the first to recover. "So, you're John's daughter. How old are you?"

Jess smiled. "I'm eighteen. I'll be nineteen in a few months." Dave nodded. "Well, the resemblance is striking. You look almost exactly like him. Where is he, by the way? I thought he was coming with you?"

Nikki nodded, "He was going to accompany us, but he had some last minute things to take care of on Earth. He left a few hours ago and should be back any time."

Dave nodded. Becca smiled, finally having gotten over the shock of it all. "Well, it's really nice to meet you, Jessie. I'm sure you'll be able to help Nikki keep John in line." They all chuckled and Jessie nodded. "I don't know about that. I'm a lot like him from what I've gathered so far. Nikki might have to keep us both in line."

Nikki laughed and nodded. "That might be true. But John will enjoy having a younger version of himself running around. He already does and he's barely gotten to spend any time with you so far." Jess smiled.

They continued to talk, laugh, and tell stories for the next couple of hours until it was time for them to start heading to the mess hall. They had wasted a good chunk of time getting to know one another.

Jess had met her cousins about half an hour after her and Nikki had arrived. They had been out exploring the city. The introduction had gone well and Carrie was excited to have an older cousin who was a girl. She kept jumping up and down in excitement for a good hour after they had met. Jess had fallen in love with the little girl was so excited to get to spend some time with her.

They left the quarters together and walked towards the mess hall. They walked in together and found the party was already in full swing. Most of the city were there except for the few who were required to work on the skeleton shift throughout the party. Afterall, someone had to keep an eye on the gate and the long-range sensors while everyone else was partying and getting drunk, right?

Immediately when they got there, Jayden and Carri took off, promising to check in every half hour with their parents. Dave and Becca went to get refreshments for themselves and a snack.

Nikki spotted their group towards the back of the party. Not everyone from there group was there yet. They made their way over to them and found Evan, Kira, Teyla, Kanaan, and Alex drinking beers, or in Teyla's case, lemonade.

Evan looked over as Nikki and Jess approached. "Hey! You guys made it! Where's John?"

Nikki smiled as they made it to their group. "John and Ronon went back to Earth a few hours ago. They should be back anytime."

Evan nodded, his eye brows furrowed. Alex turned towards his sister when he realized they had joined them. "Nikki! About time you-. Wait a minute. Who's this? She looks an awful lot like John…" Nikki laughed at her already tipsy brother. "Yes, Alex, she does. That's because she's his long-lost daughter. Alex, this is Jessie. Jessie, this is my older brother Alex. He's a nerd and also tipsy already. So don't mind him."

Jess smiled at him. She loved watching tipsy people. They amused her to no end. Until they started throwing up. Then it was time to leave.

"It's nice to meet you, Alex." Alex smiled. "Well yeah! Of course it is! Where's…John." Nikki rolled her eyes. "He's finishing up some business. He'll be here soon." He nodded and took a big swig of his beer.

"Oh! Nikki, I have something to tell you that I've been meaning to tell you." Nikki looked back at her brother. Someone walked up before he could continue. She walked straight over to Alex and put her arm around his waist. She was a little tipsy too it seemed. Nikki immediately knew who she was and was shocked at what she was seeing.

"Nikki, this is Laura. You know Laura. Her name is Laura Cadman. She's my girlfriend. We've been dating for a while, but I didn't wanna tell you yet until now."

Nikki laughed at her brother. He really was getting tipsy. "Well congratulations, Alex. I'm happy for you." Alex smiled a very cheesy smile before turning to Laura and giving her a big, sloppy kiss on the mouth which she returned equally as sloppy. Nikki rolled her eyes and looked at the rest of their group. Teyla was watching the sunset with Kanaan standing next to her. Evan and Kira were leaning against the railing just a few inches farther down and were talking quietly to each other, both with beers in their hands. Though neither were tipsy yet.

She looked around for Jess and watched as she walked up to a rather cute marine with blonde hair and blue eyes and started dancing with him to the music that was playing. She sighed softly and walked over to the other end of the railing where no one was standing and looked out on the ocean.

She stood there silently taking in the scene before her for a good ten minutes before a strong pair of arms wrapped themselves around her and a chin settled on her right shoulder. "I told you I'd be back soon."

A smile lit up Nikki's face as she turned her head to look at John standing there. "And I'm so glad you are. I was starting to worry."

He smiled and looked at her. "No need. It went down surprisingly easy. We walked in, caught him off guard, handcuffed him, and took him on his way. The funny part though was where as soon as he saw me, he kept looking back and forth between me and a picture of Jess. It was priceless. Sure made Ronon's day. And the entire way to the police station he kept rambling about how it couldn't be true. He must be seeing things. I sure got a kick out of it."

Nikki laughed and laid her head back against John's shoulder. "Oh, I bet. That would have been pretty funny to see, I'm sure. Did it feel good to handcuff that bastard?"

John nodded as he looked out at the ocean. "Yeah, it felt great. Better than I thought it would. And even better because he was in the middle of beating up his wife. And don't worry, she's fine. She was taken to the hospital for minor cuts, but she's fine. And I think this time she's actually going to press charges."

"That's good. He deserves to rot in jail." Neither said anything for a few minutes before Nikki broke the silence. "John?...Is it weird that I already feel so protective of her? I mean…she's not even my daughter and we just met her today, but…I don't know. It feels like I've known her for longer."

John smiled and turned his face towards hers. "That's not weird at all. It's called motherly instinct. And it doesn't matter that she's not your biological daughter. She's your step-daughter, or will be soon enough. And hell, she's a lot like your fiancée. I should hope you feel something towards her."

Nikki rolled her eyes and looked at him. "She really admires you, you know that? She's barely been around you, but…she already calls you dad, her eyes shine when someone talks about you…she's proud to be your daughter. You need to spend some quality time with her. Just you and her."

John nodded and smiled. "I just met her today and already…I can't imagine my life without her. Is that strange?" Nikki laughed and shook her head. "No, it's called being a good father."

A smile lit up John's face as he turned and searched the crowd for his daughter. He found her a little ways away dancing with one of the new marines. He smiled as he watched her have some fun. After a moment, she looked up and their eyes met. Her face lit up when she saw that he had returned. She turned to face the boy she was dancing with, they exchanged a few words, and then she turned and ran towards her father. John let go of Nikki and stepped back. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Dad! You're back." He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her in his arms. He missed out on this her entire life. He wasn't about to hesitate on hugging her now.

Evan looked over as Jess ran into John's arms. A smile graced his lips as he watched their father/daughter moment. He saw the happiness in John's eyes as he held his daughter and knew that he was going to make an excellent father.

Kira turned to look where Evan had been staring. Her eyes found where Evan had been watching and she smiled. She turned back to Evan. "He's doing pretty well so far, huh?" Evan nodded without taking his eyes off of the scene in front of him. He watched as Nikki turned around and admired the scene as well. They were a happy little family that was about to expand from three people to five.

Evan finally looked away and looked down at Kira. "Yeah, he's going to be a great father." Kira nodded as she wrapped her arm around Evan's waist and tucked herself into him, enjoying his closeness.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Kira."

Kira looked up at him with a big smile on her face. "I love you too, Evan." His smile grew as he leaned down and touched his lips to hers.

Teyla turned away from the view in front of her and looked out at the growing crowd. She spotted Rodney and Jennifer holding each other and laughing at the opposite side of the room. They were slowly swaying to the soft music that was now playing. She shifted her eyes amongst the crowd again and found Ronon and Amelia walking into the mess hall. He had said earlier that they would be late and they were. She could see the smile on his face every time he looked down at Amelia. She had the same crooked grin on hers as she looked up at him.

Teyla could tell that they were falling for each other and she couldn't be happier for the couple. Ronon deserved happiness. Amelia was the first woman he had been with since his fiancée from Sateda. She was happy that he was able to finally move on and find happiness again.

She watched Evan and Kira as they shared another kiss and stared deeply into each other's eyes as they talked softly. The two hadn't been together for too long, but it was hard to imagine them with anyone else.

Teyla's eyes shifted once again as she found John, Nikki, and Jessie sharing a little family moment not too far from where she stood with Kanaan. She already knew that John would make an outstanding father. He was a good man.

Kanaan watched as she made sure all of her friends were happy and having fun. He knew she wouldn't be happy until she knew that all of her friends were happy as well. That was just who she was. He looked away from her for a moment, trying to gather the strength to say what he needed to say before looking back down at her.

"Teyla, there is something that we need to discuss." She nodded her head and finally looked up to him. He knew that she sensed what he meant and neither was looking forward to this conversation. They both knew that it had been coming for a while now, but neither had wanted to talk about it.

"I think it is time I move back to our people. You belong here, but I do not. You and I both know that is true. We have both seen this day coming for a while now and now it has come. I will be leaving soon."

Teyla's eyes shone with unshed tears she refused to shed. "But what about our child? Do you expect me to raise him on my own? He will need a father."

Kanaan nodded, "As he shall have one. I will care for him in our village with our people when you bring him. Until then, you have many friends who I am sure will assist you with anything you should need. I have already made my decision, Teyla. I have spoken with Halling and he is expecting me tonight." Teyla nodded and looked away from him.

She knew that this day had been coming for a while now. His mind had been shut from her for many weeks and they had started to drift from each other. As she had reached out and received help and guidance from her friends, he had pulled away and seen it as a sign that she no longer needed him there. He began to distance himself and that led to their love dwindling fast.

"I am sorry to leave so suddenly, but it is for the best. I hope that you forgive me. Good bye, Teyla." She looked up at him and watched as he walked through the crowd and out of the mess hall. She wasn't sure what to do.

She was relieved that she no longer had that stress in her life, but she was also sad because a part of her still loved him deeply.

John watched Kanaan walk away and noticed the look of sadness in her eyes. He stepped away from Jess and Nikki and approached Teyla.

She didn't hear him walk up to her until he was standing right next to her. She let a tear slip down her cheek before she realized she wasn't alone.

Nikki and Jess watched as he wiped away her tears, watched as she looked up in surprise, and as he pulled her into him. She folded her hands into the front of his shirt as he rubbed her back and started to whisper in her ear. "It's going to be okay, Teyla. It's okay to cry. Just let it out. I'm here, it's going to be okay."

Teyla let herself go and let the tears slide down her cheek. "He left. John…I don't know what to do."

John pulled her in closer to him and continued to rub her back. "You're going to get through this. You hear me? You've got me, Nikki, Jess, Ronon, Amelia, Jennifer, Elizabeth, Alex, Carson, Evan, Kira,…hell, even Rodney. That's a lot of people that are here for you and will always be here for you and this baby whenever you need anything. You know you can call me day or night, doesn't matter what time."

She nodded into his shoulder, tears still sliding down her face. "I knew this was going to happen. But now my son will have to grow up without a dad around. I don't know if I can do it alone."

John pulled back a little and put his hands on either side of her face, making her look up at him. As each tear fell, he wiped it away with his thumbs. "Teyla, you are the strongest, most confident, most able woman I know. And you won't be alone. You have all of us here for you. We won't leave you no matter what. And he will have a dad around. Or at least someone who can act as a father figure while Kanaan isn't around. I'm already a dad and I'd be more than willing, hell I'd be honored, to act as your son's father figure while his father isn't around. And you have Ronon and Evan who will make excellent role models. At least at the right times." Teyla smiled at John's joke.

She knew that the three of them loved to mess around. She also knew that all three would make wonderful role models for her son. "John, I'd be honored if you would act as a father figure to him while he's here, but you have so many responsibilities, as well as a daughter and twins on the way. I don't want to over burden you."

John smiled and shook his head. "Being a father and being a part of a family is never a burden, Teyla. How about you move to the quarters next to ours. That way you can be closer in case anything happens and if you need anything, we're right next door. You know Nikki would love to help. And would probably love some help as well when the twins get here."

A smile lit up Teyla's face and she nodded. "I would love that, John. And I would love to help Nikki as well. I think it will do me good to be around another new mom, and be closer."

John nodded. "Well, it's settled then. I'll stop by tomorrow morning and we'll get everything settled. I'll get Ronon, Evan, and the rest of the gang to help move. Hell, I might even throw in some popcorn if you behave yourself."

Teyla laughed and nodded. "It's a deal." "Good." He turned towards Nikki and Jess and motioned for them to come over to them. He let go of Teyla, but stayed right by her side as Nikki and Jess approached. "Teyla's going to be moving into the empty quarters next to ours tomorrow. That way when the baby comes, we can help her and when the twins get here, she can help us. Kind of like a win-win situation."

Nikki's face lit up and she looked at Teyla. "Oh my goodness, I'm so excited! And it'll be fun to make fun of these guys while they move everything." Teyla laughed. "Yes, it will."

Teyla looked at her friends and smiled. She always felt like she belonged with her people, but on Atlantis, with her friends, she felt like she was where she belonged. She was truly happy here and couldn't believe how lucky she was to have such good friends. And family.


	25. A Miracle In Pegasus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small miracle happens on Atlantis. Though it may be small, to those nearest, it is quite a big miracle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed update after I said it should be up soon. Life happened, can you imagine that? I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as it seems you’ve been enjoying the past chapters. Remember, this story only has a few chapters left. Only going to Chapter 30 for this one. If I get enough requests I’ll do a sequel though. Gotta let me know!! Otherwise, I’ll assume you want me to end it at Chapter 30. Once again, I am sorry about the extremely long delay. I got caught up in other stories and have recently gotten back into my love for SGA. So..without further ado, here is Chapter 25. ^.^

**Chapter 25**

Teyla sighed as she struggled to get out of bed. She couldn’t wait for her child to be born. Carson had asked her if she wanted to know the sex of the baby, but she had declined. She wanted to wait until she met her child.

Once she managed to get out of bed, she went about her usual morning routine. Teyla had no plans for the day and wasn’t sure what she’d do.

She made it to breakfast like usual. Ronon, Rodney, John, Nikki, and Jessie were already there. They made small talk as they ate, John and Rodney bickering occasionally.

She was beginning to wonder if they would actually make it through an entire meal John getting called away when his hand flew to his radio.

“Sheppard here.” Rodney snorted, obviously having thought what she’d been thinking.

He was nodding to himself as he played with his coffee mug. “The Daedalus isn’t due back for another week. Yes, the shipment is onboard. I spoke to Caldwell a few days ago. I’ll be in my office in about half an-. Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll be right there.” He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

John gave Nikki a small smile before kissing her briefly on the lips and standing up. “Looks like I’m on my way to a meeting. I’ll see you guys at lunch.”

They waved their goodbyes and watched John make his way out of the mess hall. Teyla finished her tea and rubbed a hand over her swollen belly. Ronon leaned towards her and lowered his voice. “Do you need help with anything today? I don’t have lessons until later.”

She smiled gratefully at him, but shook her head. “Thank you, Ronon, but I do not require your services today. John helped me with the last of it last night so there is nothing to do except wait for the baby to arrive.”

He nodded, smiling at his friend. They had all pitched in every chance they got and helped Teyla as much as she needed since Kanaan had left. It wasn’t right for an eight months pregnant woman to have to set up her child’s room alone.

They continued to sit around the mess hall for about twenty minutes talking before they had to leave and get a move on with their day.

Rodney went to his lab to continue his work on whatever experiment he was working on. Ronon went for another run even though he had already went on one before breakfast with Sheppard. Nikki and Jessie went to Nikki’s lab to start a simple experiment.

Teyla looked around the mess hall, wondering what she could possibly do to occupy herself.

**SGA**

The hours had passed and Teyla kept herself somewhat busy. She made it through lunch without a problem. Once everyone had parted ways once more for the afternoon, she became restless.

She decided to pay John a visit in his office, she had things to talk about with him anyway.

Teyla made her way down the hallways, nodding and smiling to those she passed. Once she arrived at John’s office, she rang the sensor, asking permission to come in. The door slid open for her since John had opened it up with his mind with the use of his strong ATA gene.

She walked into the room and smiled when she saw that he was doing paperwork. He looked up from whatever he was signing and smiled. “Oh thank God. I finally have a distraction from this damn paperwork. Please, sit down, Teyla.”

She sat down in one of the chairs that sat opposite of his desk. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “So, what’s up? There’s no emergency is there?” She chuckled to herself and shook her head.

“No, there is no emergency, John. I just have found myself somewhat…restless today. There is not much I can do given my current state of pregnancy. I decided to come visit you and see if you were too busy to talk. Also, I was wondering if you and Nikki have set a date yet for the wedding.”

His smile widened. “Actually, we have. It’s going to be next month. We even have a location set finally too. When we were searching the city to make sure everything was safe, I found this room that would be perfect. I haven’t shown Nikki yet though. We’ve been too busy. Actually, I haven’t shown anybody.”

Teyla smiled at his excitement. “If you are not busy, I would very much like to see the room.”

He sat up straight in his chair, clearly excited. “Really? Well, let’s go then! I think you’ll love it. It has an amazing view of the city.”

He moved around the desk and helped her to her feet. He held out his arm for her to take to make it easier on her with their walk. She accepted and they were on their way to see where the wedding would be held.

On the way, they didn’t pass too many people as many of them were busy off doing who knew what. They talked about the minor details: who would be there, who was conducting the ceremony, why John and Nikki had chosen who’d they’d chosen to be bridesmaids and groomsmen.

“Obviously Nikki wanted Kira as her maid of honor since their sisters. They’ve gotten really close in the past few months that she’s been here. She asked Becca and Jess to be up there with her, as well as you, obviously. I think she feels closest to you four. And there’s the fact that all five of you are family.”

Teyla looked up at John in confusion. “John, I am not related to the other four women. I am the only one of the group to not be.” John looked down at her incredulously.

“Are you kidding? Of course, you are, Teyla! Family doesn’t end in blood, you know. Nikki views you as a sister. And, well, if I’m going to be Uncle John, then you’re definitely family.”

Teyla smiled at the thought of her child calling him Uncle John. She was very appreciative of all he had done and his offer of being a father figure for her child.

“What about your groomsmen? I am unaware of who you chose to be standing beside you.”

John smiled shyly as they continued down the hallway. “Evan’s going to be my best man.”

“I assumed you would have asked your brother to be your best man. As I have been told, that is usually the way Earth weddings are held.”

John nodded slowly. “Yeah, usually they are, but…Dave and I are just reconnecting after…years. I barely know the guy, you know? Evan and I have gotten pretty close and I’d rather have someone I’m close to standing next to me than practically a stranger. Anyways, he’s going to be up there too though. He’ll be next to Lorne. I also asked Ronon and Rodney to be up there.”

Teyla knew that Ronon had been asked. She remembered when Ronon had shown up at her door completely thrilled with the fact that Sheppard had asked him to stand up with him at his wedding. He said he’d felt honored.

“I bet they all feel honored to have been asked to be a part of your wedding. I know I am.” John looked down at her with a wide grin on his face.

He stopped and looked at a door. “Here we are.” He ran his free hand over the door sensor and the doors opened, revealing a big room with one wall completely made of glass.

As they stepped in and Teyla got a better view of the wall of glass, she gasped at what she saw. They were high in one of the towers so the view consisted of the layout of Atlantis as well as the rolling waves of the ocean.

“Oh, John, it is remarkable. Nikki will definitely love this. You have picked a very beautiful location.”

He smiled proudly of his find as they stared out the window, both entranced by the view. Suddenly the doors slammed shut, making both of them jump and turn around. John gently let go of Teyla’s arm, telling her to stay there as he walked over to the door and attempted to open it. When it wouldn’t open, he reached up and hit his radio.

“Control room, this is Sheppard. Come in.”

“This is the control room, go ahead Colonel Sheppard.”

“Teyla and I have just been locked into a room in one of the south towers. I can’t get the door open. Is there any way you can open it from there?”

“We’re experiencing a technical error throughout the city that has caused a city-wide lockdown. Dr. McKay is currently attempting to fix the error from his lab. We should be able to get the doors open soon.”

John sighed and rubbed his face. “Keep me updated on his progress. Sheppard out.”

He turned to Teyla who had a hand resting on her stomach. “There’s been a glitch, it seems. Whole city is on lockdown. McKay’s trying to fix it.”

She nodded, keeping her hand on her stomach. He moved over to her and lead her towards the bench that was against one of the walls. “Why don’t we sit down while we wait. Could be a while. Are you okay?”

She smiled somewhat tightly, but nodded. “Yes, John, I am fine.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before they started up a conversation.

“I have been told that it is customary to go on a trip after one is married. I believe it is called a…honeymoon?”

John nodded, looking around the room. “Yeah, we were going to go on one, but since she’s quite pregnant, we decided to hold for now. We’re going to wait until after the twins are born and then take a family vacation to go meet her parents.”

Teyla looked at John questioningly. “You have not met her parents yet?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No. That sounds horrible. I got her pregnant and we’re getting married in a month, but I’ve never met her parents. I’m such the gentleman.”

Teyla’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Do they know about any of this that has happened?”

“Actually, they don’t. Nikki decided it was best to just show up at their door with a new husband, two twin babies, and a step-daughter in tow. She said something about the Texan way and if they knew about it beforehand, they would _not_ be happy. You see, there’s an old Earth tradition where the man is supposed to ask the woman’s father for permission to marry his daughter. And since I’ve never met the guy, have already knocked up his daughter, and we’re getting married in a month…Well, let’s just say it wouldn’t go over very well.”

Teyla nodded in understanding, still rubbing her belly. “Ah, I see. Yes, I do believe that that would not be very good. I wish you luck when you do finally meet them.”

John chuckled and nodded. “Thanks, I’m sure I’ll need all the help I can get.”

She smiled at him before wincing. She had tried to hide her discomfort, but was unable to. She was hoping John had missed it, but he’d seen it. “Teyla, what’s wrong?”

She sighed and looked down at her stomach. “I believe my child has decided that today is the best day to make an appearance. When the doors slammed shut, I jumped, causing my water to break. I have been having contractions the entire time we’ve been sitting here.”

**(Note: They’ve been sitting there for a good hour or more talking, waiting for McKay to fix the error.)**

John sat up sharply and looked at her with wide eyes. “You’re in labor and you’re just now telling me? Why didn’t you say something when your water broke?”

She rested a hand on his arm, trying to reassure him. “Dr. Beckett has been telling me that labor is usually several hours. I was hoping it would be the case here as well. Though, it seems my child has other ideas. I do not believe it will be much longer before it is here.”

His hand flew to his radio. “Rodney, this is Sheppard, come in.”

“McKay here. You know, I’d work much faster when people would stop interrupting me.”

“Save it, McKay. Teyla and I are locked in a room on the south tower and her water broke over an hour ago. You need to get these doors open _now._ ”

There was a moment of silence before Rodney’s panicked voice came over the radio. “I’m working as fast as I can! Just tell her to cross her legs or something! McKay out!”

John rolled his eyes, but hit his radio again. “Dr. Beckett, this is Sheppard. Come in.”

“Colonel, how can I help you?”

“Doc, Teyla’s water broke about an hour ago and we’re locked in a tower on the south side.”

“Oh sweet Jesus, how far apart are her contractions?”

John turned to Teyla. “Um, Beckett wants to know how far apart are your contractions?”

“About four minutes apart.” Teyla’s radio was patched through so that the three of them could communicate.

“Okay, Colonel, you may very well have to deliver the baby. Are you prepared for that?”

John’s eyes widened. “How the hell could I be prepared for that? No, I’m not prepared for that!”

They heard Carson sigh, “Colonel, take a deep breath. The key is not to panic here. It could take several hours from now for the baby to be born. For all we know, Rodney could have the doors open by then. You may not have to do anything, but you do need to stay calm and keep Teyla calm, is that understood?”

John looked at Teyla and nodded. “Yeah, got it. What do I do?”

Carson ran John through what he would need to do in order to deliver the baby properly. John was slightly frightened at the idea of actually delivering a baby, but he was forcing down his panic and keeping a cool head. He needed to for Teyla and baby’s sake.

She laid a hand on John’s and smiled softly at him. “John, you can do this. I have faith in you.”

He smiled weakly at her, not sure he had faith in himself, but nodded anyway.

“Oh, and by the way, Colonel, Nikki and Jessie are here in the infirmary for the routine check-up. Just wanted to let you know that everything checked out fine and the twins are in perfect health.”

He knew Carson had said that to help keep him calm. If he knew that his unborn twins were healthy and doing good, that gave him something positive to focus on.

“Thanks, Doc. Good to know.”

John did his best to keep Teyla talking. They made their way through numerous topics as two hours went by. The contractions were getting closer and closer together and Teyla had a firm grasp on his hand. He was doing his best to help her through each contraction. By this point, Carson had Nikki set up a radio so that the staff, as well as anyone in the infirmary, could hear what was going on with the delivery process since it was getting closer and closer to that time.

He had taken that time to prepare for when the doors would open and they would be able to go to John and Teyla’s assistance. For the moment, they could only listen over the radio and talk them through it.

Nikki was getting more nervous as time went on. She had full faith in John just like Teyla did, but she was worried about Teyla. Babies were born for years without doctors, but if something were to go wrong, there was nothing John could do for her or the baby. All he had were his sidearm and his knife.

“John, I believe the baby is…almost here.” John looked at her seriously.

“Are you sure?” She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut through a wave of pain. “Yes, it is coming. _Now._ ”

He moved to the floor and positioned himself in front of her, lifting up her dress and resting it on her knees. He moved her feet and positioned them on his knees like Carson had instructed him to. It would give Teyla some leverage as she pushed.

Teyla began to push and cry out in pain. John kept glancing up at her, worried. He hated seeing anyone this close to him in pain, especially Teyla, and there was nothing he could do.

“You’re doing good, Teyla, just keep pushing.” He kept trying to reassure her, keep her focused. After a few pushes, a smile spread across his face. “I see the head! You’re almost there, Teyla! Keep pushing.”

Carson and the rest of the occupants in the infirmary were practically holding their breath as they listened to Teyla’s child being born. They were listening to a miracle coming into the world. Nikki had tears in her eyes as she heard the sheer love and encouragement in John’s voice.

“Here’s the shoulders…the arms. You’re doing good, Teyla.” A sharp cry burst through the air as John pulled the baby the rest of the way out and the baby came into the world.

Teyla was trying to catch her breath as she looked down. John was holding the baby with the biggest smile on his face. He cut the cord with his knife and wrapped the baby in his jacket. “It’s a boy! Teyla, it’s a boy.” The entire infirmary burst into applause and cheer. Teyla’s child had come into the world.

A bubble of laughter escaped her throat as she looked at her son for the first time. She watched John handle her son with care, not sure if she had the strength to hold him quite yet.

John stood and sat on the bench next to her. “Teyla, I’d like to introduce you to your son.” He placed him into her waiting arms and she smiled down at him lovingly. “He’s beautiful.”

John smoothed the hair away from her face and smiled at her. “He sure is. What are you going to name him?”

She looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye. “Torren.”

He nodded, looking back down at her son. “I like it. Torren Emmagen. It has a sort of ring to it.”

She nodded, “Yes, I thought so as well. Well actually, if it’s alright with you, I was thinking of Torren John, after my father and after you.”

His eyes snapped to hers and his mouth opened in shock. “Really? Wow. I would be very honored.”

Teyla’s smile grew as she looked down at her son. “Torren John Emmagen.”

Suddenly the doors opened and John looked up. “Oh, _now_ he fixes it!” He rolls his eyes, but directs his attention back to his radio. “Hey doc, don’t worry about coming to get us. I’ll bring her to you.”

He switches off his radio as Teyla does the same, but with a look of confusion. “John?”

He wraps an arm around her waist and looks at her. “Wrap you left arm around my neck. I’m going to carry you to the infirmary. Hell of a lot faster than waiting for them to come get us and then go all the way back there.”

She nodded and did as he said. He picked her up and they made their way out of the room and towards the infirmary.

They entered the infirmary not too long after leaving the room. Carson swarmed the pair and was shouting orders to get both Teyla and Torren checked out. Nikki and Jess appeared at John’s side as he still had Teyla in his arms. He smiled proudly at Nikki when he saw her.

She returned the smile just as proud and looked at Teyla. “How are you doing, Teyla?”

She smiled weakly and nodded. “I will be fine. I am just in need of some rest.” Nikki nodded and moved out of the way as John carried her over to a bed and laid her down. A nurse appeared and took Torren from her to give him a check-up as she was wheeled to another section of the infirmary to get a check-up of her own.

John sat on a stool and sagged in exhaustion. Sure, he hadn’t had to do a whole lot, but the adrenaline had been rushing through his veins and it had already worn off. An arm wrapped around his shoulders and he looked up tiredly to find Nikki smiling down at him.

“You did wonderful, John.” His smile widened slightly and he rested his head gently against her stomach, feeling the kick of one of his children against his cheek.

“Just promise me I won’t have to deliver the twins and I’ll be okay.” She chuckled and lightly played with his hair in the way that he secretly loved.

“No promises given what happens around here. Hell, Torren wasn’t due for another month and yet here he is!” He nodded, thinking about the beautiful little baby that shared his name.

He truly felt honored that she had decided to name her son after him.

Carson appeared back in the main area of the infirmary and made his way over to John. “Colonel, you did wonderfully. He is in perfect health given that he is a month early and wasn’t born in a sterile environment.”

He nodded, lifting his head from Nikki’s stomach. “What about Teyla? Is everything okay?”

Carson smiled. “She’s fine, lad. I gave her something for the pain and she’s resting comfortably. I suggest that you go back to your quarters and get some much deserved rest. I will radio you if there is any change in either of them or when Teyla wakes up.”

He nodded and was about to stand, but became curious. “Hey, Doc…Not that I’m complaining, but why would you radio me? I mean, I want to know about both of them and all, but isn’t that for family?”

Dr. Beckett nodded and leaned against one of the beds. “Usually, yes, but given that you are the one that delivered the baby and you are also the one Teyla has down as a health care proxy. So if anything were to happen to her and she were unable to make the decisions regarding her health, you would be the one to make them. She had also made it so that if anything were to happen to her, her son would be placed into your care. She did talk to you about it, correct?”

John racked his brain to try to remember if they’d had that conversation. “Actually, I think we did, but it was a while ago. I must have forgotten.”

Carson nodded, “She spoke to me about it around the time she learned she was pregnant. She said she would speak to you about it and get back to me. A couple of days later, she was in my office and signed the papers.”

He nodded and stood. “Well, I’m going to go get some rest. Let me know when she wakes up.” Carson nodded, “Will do, Colonel!”

The three of them made their way out of the infirmary, John’s arm around Nikki’s waist. He was starting to sag a little, but he was trying his best not to put any of his weight on her since she was so pregnant.

They made it to their quarters and John didn’t even stop to take off his boots before he fell in bed and was asleep before he hit the pillow. Nikki chuckled as she watched him quickly fall asleep. She sat down on the chest that was placed at the end of their bed and took off John’s boots, making it more comfortable for him to sleep.

She crawled into bed after changing into something more comfortable and scooted closer to him. She ran her hand down his face a couple of times and played with a piece of his hair. She watched him sleep for a while, thinking about all of his responsibilities. He was the Commanding Military Officer of a base stationed a galaxy away from Earth, a fiancée, a father of an eighteen-year-old and soon to be twins, a good friend to many, a leader, commander, negotiator, an uncle, a brother, a son-in-law, the health care proxy for three people, and a God father. He had a lot on his shoulders and he carried it well.

She admired him for all that he was able to take on and handle, for all that he did for those he loved and even for those he never met. He was an outstanding man and she knew how lucky she was to be marrying him and carrying his children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo....what did y'all think?? I will try my best not to put off updating for forever..promise!


	26. My Little Girl Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and Jessie have a major blow-out...can John fix things between them? Can Jess forgive her father? 
> 
> PART ONE!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooo sorry about not updating in...what? 3 months? I feel awful about it, I really really do. This is only part one in this group. I planned on not breaking it up, just making one go of it, but I felt horrible about not posting in forever so I just split it up. Anyways...I hope it was worth the wait!!!
> 
> ALSO: In this chapter and next, they are split into sections by days. Each day has a certain agenda after the fight. I feel like I was rushing through things, but there's so much to get through.....If you have any questions, just let me know!

**Chapter 26**

Jess opened her eyes and couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. She was going to spend another day with her dad. Just the thought that she would be spending time with her _dad_ made her smile. She still couldn’t believe how lucky she’d gotten when she found him.

She knew he hadn’t been expecting her to just show up one day on Atlantis on another planet in another galaxy, not to mention the fact that he knew nothing about her. The fact that he had adapted so quickly and had welcomed her into his life so easily made her respect him and look up to him all that much more.

Jess got up and got ready for her day, thinking about what she could possibly do. John wouldn’t let her go off-world yet. He had said he wanted her to get more used to the city first and that he wanted to be there on her first off-world excursion. He’d even made sure to inform everyone in the control room, as well as Elizabeth, not to let her off-world without him unless it was to go back to Earth.

She walked out of her room and was greeted by Nikki who was waiting patiently for John to finish getting ready.

“Good morning, Jessie. Sleep well?”

Jess smiled at the woman who was going to be her step mom soon. “Yep! Just listening to the ocean puts me out like a light. What about you?”

“I agree. The ocean is very soothing, especially when you’re seven months pregnant. It isn’t very easy to sleep these days though. The twins like to play soccer with my insides while I’m trying to sleep.”

Jessie grinned and sat down next to Nikki on the couch. She lowered her head so that she was right about Nikki’s belly and placed her hand over where she hoped one of the twins were.

“Now listen here, little brother or sister, you need to let your mommy sleep. She’s the reason why it’s all nice and warm in there. So, if I were you, I’d be good and behave while you’re in there.”

Nikki laughed lovingly at the sight before her. She adored Jessie and it made her happy how easily she’d accepted Nikki and the twins into her life when she’d found her father. It had made life that much easier when the two found each other.

John walked out of the bedroom he shared with Nikki and couldn’t help the wide smile that formed on his face at seeing Jessie bent over Nikki’s stomach talking to her unborn siblings.

“You know, Jess, they probably can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

Jess looked up at her father with a smile. “Oh, they understand me. I’m their big sister. We talk the same language.”

John rolled his eyes and walked over to help Nikki to her feet. Once she was up onto her feet, they left their quarters in search of breakfast.

It didn’t take long for them to reach the mess hall and get in line for their food. John carried two trays, one for himself and one for Nikki as Nikki added to both trays. Jess loved to watch the two of them together. They were such an amazing couple and she admired the strong bond that they shared.

They sat down at the table and began eating their breakfast with their friends that were already there: Ronon, Lorne, and Kira. They talked about their upcoming day and what missions they would be going on. As their friends started to arrive, the number of separate conversations grew and their table became one of the loudest in there given the time of day.

John and Ronon were in the middle of a conversation about their last mission that had almost ended very badly when John’s com activated.

“Sheppard.”

Nikki and Jess looked up, as did the rest of the table. They had all been expecting him to get called away. It was quite rare when he got to eat a meal in radio silence.

“Yeah, I’ll be right there. Sheppard out.”

He looked up to see the entire table staring at him. “What?”

Ronon grunted, “You never get through a whole meal.”

John nodded, “Yeah. Sucks sometimes.” He turned to Nikki and squeezed her hand.

“Elizabeth needs to see me in her office. I’ll see you at lunch?”

She smiled at him and nodded, “Of course, John. Love you.”

He smiled, “Love you too.” He sent a smile towards Jess, conveying his goodbye to her silently as they usually did. They were able to communicate a lot that way.

John walked through the halls of Atlantis, wondering why Elizabeth wanted to see him. He wasn’t due to go on any away missions for a few days and the only team off-world was a science team on the alpha site.

He entered her office and sat down in the chair he always sat in, not bothering to wait for an invitation. She looked up from her laptop and smiled at his easy-going nature. The smile didn’t last long though.

Her face turned serious and he knew he wasn’t going to like what was about to come out of her mouth.

“John, I just got a transmission from the SGC. You and your sister-in-law, Becca, are being sent back to Earth. You’ll be gone for about a week.”

John sat up straighter. “May I ask why?”

“You both have been subpoenaed. They want you and Becca to testify at Nancy’s trial. General O’Neill said they didn’t ask for Nikki because of how far along in the pregnancy she is and, given what happened, they don’t want to add that much stress onto what she’s already going through. They don’t want to risk anything happening to the twins. The lawyers said your testimony and Becca’s testimony will be enough to win the case.”

John nodded slowly, letting it sink in. He hadn’t thought about having to testify at the trial. He really didn’t want to see his ex-wife again, but if it meant putting her away where she could never hurt his family again, he would do it without hesitation.

“When do we leave?”

“Just before lunch, so you have a few hours to get things in order. I’ll let you tell Becca she’ll be leaving as well.”

John nodded, running through things he’d have to get done before he left. He stood and was about to leave the office when Elizabeth called out to him.

“Oh, and John? If you need to talk about it, my door is always open. And good luck.”

John gave her the best attempt at a smile he could muster before turning and walking back towards the mess hall. He knew they’d all still be there as the meeting had only been a couple of minutes. His mind was jumping from topic to topic as he made his way through Atlantis.

Before he knew it, he was back in the mess hall and walking over to their table. Like he thought, everyone was still there. They looked up when he arrived and were instantly on edge by the look on his face and the tension in his body.

Nikki sat up straighter, “John? What’s going on?”

He looked at her seriously, “We need to talk privately.” He looked up at Lorne and his team.

“I want you four to meet me in my office in an hour.” They all nodded as Nikki stood up. John wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked away towards their quarters. He stayed silent the whole way back until they walked through the door and had some privacy. Once the doors shut behind them, Nikki turned to him.

“John, what is going on? You’re worrying me.”

John walked over to the couch and sat down, encouraging her to as well. “Elizabeth received a message from the SGC. Becca and I have been subpoenaed back to Earth for Nancy’s trial. The lawyers said that given what happened and how pregnant you are, they don’t want to put all that stress on you. They said that with mine and Becca’s testimony, yours won’t be needed. You’ll be staying here where you’re safe.”

Nikki’s mouth opened, “What about you? And Becca?”

“I won’t let anything happen to her. She’ll be with me the entire time. And don’t worry about me. I’ve been dealing with Nancy since we were kids. I know how to handle her. It’s just you I’m worried about. Are you going to be okay here while I’m gone?”

“Yes, John, I’ll be fine. And so will the twins. I have Jessie here to help me if I need it along with Carson and Jennifer. We’ll be fine.”

He nodded, trying to scratch that off his list of worries, but was unable to. “Okay, we’ll be gone for about a week. We leave just before lunch.”

She nodded, “What are you going to tell Jessie? You know she wants to meet Nancy.”

He nodded again, “Yeah, well, she’s not going to. Not for a long time anyway. I don’t want her anywhere near that woman, I don’t care if Nancy is her mother or not. She’s dangerous and I’m not putting my little girl in the same room with her, let alone the same state.”

Nikki nodded, “Well, you know she’s not going to take it well. You better be prepared.”

John sighed a rub a hand over his face. He stood from the couch and walked into their room to pack. As he packed, he radioed Jess and told her to meet her in his office a good fifteen minutes before his team and Lorne were supposed to.

Once he was all packed and ready to go on that end, John and Nikki walked to his office and talked about how John would handle the week ahead of him. Nikki knew he wasn’t thrilled to see his ex-wife, but she also knew he was ready and capable to do what he needed to do to ensure his family’s safety.

They walked into his office and found Jess already there, sitting in John’s chair with her feet resting on the top of his desk. She had a smirk on her face that rivaled John’s on the best of days. John rolled his eyes but couldn’t help smile at the sight.

Nikki looked up at John and smiled. “I’ll wait outside.”

He looked down and nodded. Once the door slid shut behind her, he looked back up at Jess and his smile was gone. “Jess, we have to talk.”

Her smirk turned into a frown at the seriousness in his voice and she pulled her feet down off the desk. She stood and walked around to stand in front of her father, giving him her full, undivided attention.

“What’s up, Dad?”

He sighed, fighting to find the right words. Words were something he struggled at continuously. Sure, he was pretty damn smart, Mensa smart, but finding the right words for a delicate conversation was something he just didn’t excel at.

“Becca and I are going back to Earth for a few days. We’ve been called to testify at your mother’s trial.”

Jess’s mouth dropped open. “When do you leave?”

“Just before lunch.”

She nodded, reigning in her shock. “Well, I’m going with you.”

John shook his head, “No, you’re not. I need you to stay here and take care of Nikki while I’m gone.”

“Dad, Teyla and Uncle Dave can do that. You know they won’t mind. I want to go.”

He shook his head and took a step towards his desk. “No, I don’t want you anywhere near her.”

“Dad! I can take care of myself! I’m not a little kid anymore.”

He looked at her, his anger starting to grow. “I know that, Jess. I’m all too aware of that fact. I didn’t get to see you grow up, see you take your first steps, say your first words. I didn’t get to see you go through school or graduate from high school. All the normal things fathers are supposed to enjoy with their kids, I didn’t get that and it’s because of that woman. That woman who tried to kill Nikki and the twins. The woman who had her and your aunt kidnapped just to get back at me. It’s my fault they were put into that situation and I’ll be damned if I let her do anything to you.”

“I’m an adult and a soldier. You can’t stop me from going. You can’t just say no and that be the end of it.”

The tension in the air was starting to build as their voices steadily grew louder. They were no longer having a conversation. They were having their first major fight and tensions were running very high.

“That may be true, but technically that means you have to formally request permission to leave the base. Consider that request denied.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not the only one I can request it from. I’m sure Elizabeth would understand why I have to go.”

He shook his head. “No, not this time. She’s with me on this one. Even if she does understand why you feel you need to, she’s not going to go against me on this one.”

He leaned against his desk, trying to calm himself, but was rapidly failing. She walked a couple of steps away before whipping back towards him and putting on her worst glare.

“Why?! Why won’t you let me meet her? What are you so scared of? That I’ll like her more or something? Want to stay on Earth to get to know her better?”

“I’m scared that she’ll kill you, Jess! I’m scared that she knows you’ve found me and is just waiting for the right opportunity to take you away from me just like she tried to take Nikki away from me. Just like she tried to take the twins away from us or Becca away from Dave. I refuse to let her hurt you and I refuse to lose you.”

Jess stood silently for a moment, stunned. She’d never heard him yell like that. He had completely snapped and had confessed why he was really acting the way he was acting. She hadn’t known him all that long, but she knew him well enough to know that he didn’t just come out with things like that. He had to be really worked up about it.

Her anger burned out a bit and she lowered her voice significantly. “Dad…I’ll be okay. I’m a fighter, just like you. I don’t let things scare me away, especially when I know it’s what needs to be done. I know you don’t want to go and have anything to do with her, but I also know that you are because you know it’ll protect your family. You’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. Just like…I know that I have to see her, at least once. I need to ask her…I need to ask her why.”

His eyes softened and he lowered his voice. “Why what, Jess? What is so important that you want to risk your life just to ask her something?”

“I want to ask her…why she didn’t want me. I know it’s meaningless and that it’s basically textbook for someone who was adopted to want to ask their mother why they just gave them up, but…it’s something that I’ve been asking myself ever since I found out I was adopted. I just…I need to know, Dad.”

John saw the hurt in her eyes and felt his heart breaking. He knew it would be a very bad idea for her to accompany him and Becca to Earth and he just couldn’t ignore that feeling. Whenever he did, it always ended very badly. There was no way he was going to ignore that feeling now and risk something happening to her.

“Jess…you’re my little girl. I know you’re an adult and I never got the chance to know you when you were little, but you’ll always be my little girl. And that’s why I just can’t…I have a really bad feeling about taking you with and I can’t ignore that. I’m sorry, but…I have to say no.”

Her eyes narrowed and her lips pulled into a thin line. “You don’t trust me. That’s why you’re not letting me go. The same reason why I can’t even go off-world. I’m your daughter and you don’t even trust me! This is unbelievable! You know what? Take your time on Earth. I’ll be sure not to miss you.”

Her words cut through him like a knife as she turned and bolted through the door. “Jess! Jess!”

He ran after her, but she was gone before he got through the doors.

**SGA**

Nikki sat down on one of the chairs that were located right outside of John’s office. He’d had them placed there in case he had people waiting outside for him.

Ronon, Teyla, Rodney, and Evan walked up and greeted her. She smiled warmly at them.

“So, what’s going on?”

Nikki sighed, looking up at Evan. “John and Becca have been subpoenaed back to Earth.”

Teyla and Ronon shared a confused look before looking back at Nikki. Teyla tilted her head slightly to the side.

“Subpoenaed?”

Rodney jumped in, “It’s where someone is called to testify at a trial. What did John do this time?”

Ronon grunted, “Who’s trial?”

“Nancy’s.”

Teyla’s eyes widened and she sat down next to Nikki. “Is that wise for John and Becca to be near her?”

Nikki smiled reassuringly at her, “Nancy will be under guard supervision the entire time. And I’m sure John will have Cam with him. Those two are good friends and I’m sure Cam won’t let him go alone.”

“I’m going with him.” They looked up at Ronon. His face was completely serious and he’d already made his decision. There was no talking him out of it.

Nikki released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I would feel so much better if you would. I know John’s capable of taking care of himself, but you know how trouble follows him around like a magnet.”

Teyla nodded, “It would wise for John to have extra protection, as well as Becca.”

Evan nodded, “What about Jess? I know she wants to meet her mom. What does Sheppard think about that?”

“He’s not going to let her go. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea for her to be anywhere near Nancy, and I agree with him. Actually, she’s in there with him right now and he’s breaking the news to her.”

It was at that moment when they heard yelling coming from inside the office. They heard Jess’s voice before they heard the low timbre of John’s yelling back. They couldn’t make out all of the words, but they knew the gist of the argument.

Nikki leaned back in her chair to see if she could catch any of what was said. That’s when John’s voice rose even louder and they could make out every word.

“I’m scared that she’ll kill you, Jess! I’m scared that she knows you’ve found me and is just waiting for the right opportunity to take you away from me just like she tried to take Nikki away from me. Just like she tried to take the twins away from us or Becca away from Dave. I _refuse_ to let her hurt you and I _refuse_ to lose you.”

The office as well as the hallway was silent. They couldn’t hear what Jess’s response was to John’s outburst, but they also knew it wouldn’t stay quiet for long. Sure enough, a couple of minutes later they heard Jess’s voice rising again before the doors opened and she ran from the room.

“Jess! Jess!”

John ran out of the office, but she was out of sight before he made it through the door. He closed his eyes in defeat and ran a hand through his hair. He opened his eyes and gestured for everyone to follow him into the office.

He sat down behind his desk before sighing in frustration. Nikki walked around and wrapped her arm around John’s shoulders. He leaned against her slightly, needing the contact.

“You did the right thing, John. She’ll get over it.”

He shook his head, “I’m not so sure about that.” He shook his head again to clear it and get focused. He looked up at Lorne, but before he could say anything, Ronon stepped towards the desk.

“I’m going with you, Shep.”

John shifted his eyes to his friend and saw that he was completely serious. Ronon had been there for him through the entire ordeal with Nancy and he knew his friend wanted to help.

He thought about arguing with him, insisting that it wasn’t necessary, but he knew deep down that it would make him feel better if he had a friend there with him, especially the large Satedan.

He nodded his head, “Okay. We leave before lunch and we’ll be gone for a week, so pack enough. And leave the blaster unless you want the SGC scientists running tests on it.”

Ronon nodded, stepping back a little as John turned back to Evan and the team. “Obviously, I don’t have to say why I’ll be leaving. There’s only one team off-world right now and it’s a science team. There are a couple of teams due to go out later after lunch, shouldn’t be anything too exciting with those. The Daedalus is due back in two days with an inventory shipment so you’ll have to go through everything, get it to the right place. Last time a marine sent grenades to the infirmary and some kind of experiment materials to the mess hall. You’ll have to keep an eye on everything. The weekly SGC dial-in is in a few days, so you’ll have to debrief the general on everything that has happened since last week. I have notes around here somewhere. Since Ronon and I will both be gone, that means the missions we were scheduled for will be postponed until we get back.”

Evan nodded, “Colonel, you don’t have to worry about anything. We have everything under control. And before you ask, if something happens where we need your help, we’ll call.”

John smiled faintly at him and sat back in his chair. He could always count on his team.

“Okay. Well, I have to talk to Becca and Dave. I’m sure it’ll make Dave feel better that the big guy’s going with, but…this should be interesting.”

Teyla smiled at her friend and bowed her head forwards slightly. “We will leave you to finish preparing. And John, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to let any of us know. We are all more than happy to assist in any way we can.”

John smiled her softly, “Thanks, Teyla. I just want this over with already.”

He stood from his chair and wrapped his arm around Nikki’s waist. They all walked out of the office together before splitting off in different directions. Ronon went to pack, Teyla had a doctor’s appointment with Torren, Rodney had experiments to observe, and Lorne had soldiers to train.

Nikki accompanied John to Dave and Becca’s quarters where they found the couple. Dave opened the door and frowned when he saw John’s face. They walked in and sat down at the counter, Becca getting each of them a cup of coffee or tea.

He looked up at Becca once the beverages were placed on the table. He figured he might as well just get it over with.

“Becca, you and I are going back to Earth. We’ll be gone for about a week, maybe shorter depending on how things go.”

Dave sat up straighter. “Why? Just the two of you?”

“No, Ronon will be accompanying us and Colonel Mitchell will join us from the SGC once we arrive as well as other soldiers. We’ve been subpoenaed to appear in court for Nancy’s trial. This is our chance to put her away for good, Becca. I wouldn’t ask you to go if it wasn’t important.”

She nodded, knowing that she needed to do it for the sake of their family. She didn’t want Nancy going after any one of them again. Dave wasn’t so willing.

“No, there’s no way she’s going. Nancy could have killed her the first time. What makes you think that she doesn’t have a plan already to get back at the two of you once you get there. She probably knows you will be testifying.”

John nodded, “She probably does, but she’ll be safe, I promise you that. Ronon has my back and that of my family’s. He always has and he always will. I can guarantee the same for Colonel Mitchell and the other soldiers that will be with us. Dave…I promise you that I will not let anything happen to her. I let you down once by allowing Nancy to get to her, but I won’t make that mistake again. You have to trust me on this.”

Nikki looked between the two men, holding her breath. She hadn’t realized John still blamed himself for what had happened. She should have known he did, but she had thought they’d gotten past it. This was his chance to be able to forgive himself.

Dave looked at his little brother for a long minute, considering everything he’d said. Dave was a cautious man, he learned to be thanks to his father, but this was his little brother. His brother was asking him to trust him and he knew he had to.

Finally, he looked down for a moment. When he looked back up into John’s eyes, he nodded slowly. “Okay. But if anything happens to her, it’s your head.”

John smiled at his brother, relieved he was able to trust him. “Deal.”

John turned towards Becca. “We leave just before lunch, so meet us in the gate room at 11:30 hours. We’ll leave you to get ready. I’ll see you then.”

Becca nodded, smiling at her brother-in-law and his fiancée as they showed themselves out of their room.

**SGA**

The gate activated and John pressed a kiss to Nikki’s temple. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate. And…tell her I love her.”

Nikki smiled at him, pushing him towards the gate. “Don’t worry about anything, John. We’ll be fine. And, I will. She still loves you, you know. She’ll be fine.”

He nodded, looking over at Becca who stepped away from Dave. Dave looked up at him and nodded, “Make sure nothing happens to her. And…be careful.”

John nodded, giving him a reassuring smile as he stepped through the gate beside Becca with Ronon right behind them.

 

An hour later, Nikki found Jess in her room, staying away from everyone. She knocked tentatively on her door, hoping she’d answer.

“If that’s you, Dad, go away. If it’s Nikki…you can come in.”

She opened the door and stepped into the room. “Just thought I’d see if you wanted to get some lunch with me. It won’t be the whole group. McKay has a lunch date with Jennifer, Carson’s on duty, Ronon’s gone, and Lorne is busy with paperwork. It’ll just be you, me, Teyla, Torren, Kira, and Alex.”

Jess sat up on her bed, but didn’t say anything. She looked up at Nikki, thinking hard. Their eyes locked for a good minute before she looked away.

“Why doesn’t he trust me?”

Nikki’s mind went blank for a moment. She was entering uncharted territory and had to get it right if she planned on being a successful mother and step-mother. She walked further into the room.

“It’s not that he doesn’t trust you. He _does_ trust you. You’re his daughter.”

Jess looked up into Nikki’s eyes, searching her face for a lie she wouldn’t find. “Then why didn’t he let me go?”

“Exactly what I just said. You’re his daughter, his first child, his little girl. He loves you with all of his heart and that is exactly why he didn’t want you to go.”

She cocked an eyebrow up the way her father did when he was waiting for an explanation.

“He trusts you, Jessie, but he doesn’t trust her. He doesn’t trust Nancy to not put something together and have something happen to you. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to you because of her.”

Jess sighed, frustrated. “I get that, I do, but I can take care of myself. I’m a soldier, just like he is. I’m trained in combat, I can fire a gun. I can handle myself when it comes to tough situations. Hell, I lived in worse than what I’ve seen while in the Air Force. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

Nikki nodded, “I understand that and so does your Dad. I can’t make you understand why he did what he did. That’s between you and him. You are an adult and can handle yourself, but…he is your father and it’s his responsibility to protect you whether you want his protection or not.”

Jess thought her words over. “I do want his protection, but not from Nancy. I mean, she’s my _mother_ for crying out loud. She won’t hurt me.”

Nikki frowned. “I can’t give you a reasonable answer to that. Yes, you are her daughter, but you are also John’s daughter. She went to great lengths to get back at him through his family, what makes you so sure she won’t do it again?”

Nikki stood and walked towards the door. Before she walked through, she turned back towards Jess with a small smile on her face. “You’re still more than welcome to come have lunch with us. It might help you get your mind off of everything.”

Jess nodded and stood up, following Nikki out of the room.

The rest of Jess’s day was rather dull. She had lunch with their group that was left, she wandered around the city, spent a little bit of time with her cousins, had supper with the group again, and then went to her room and listened to some Johnny Cash to try to distract her mind. It didn’t take very long for her mind to finally drift off to sleep and she was pulled into a dream where none of her problems really mattered.

 

**Day One**

The next morning, Jess figured her day would be exactly the way it had been the previous day, only minus her father. She took a shower, got dressed, and then went to breakfast with Nikki.

That’s when her day turned a little.

Evan sat down at the table with his breakfast, Kira right behind him. He looked up at Jess before he started on his cereal and smiled at her.

“So, Jessie, got any plans for today?”

She looked up from her French toast and shook her head. She hadn’t been feeling all that talkative since her argument with John the day before.

“Well, I was talking to Carson the other day and he mentioned that you like to draw. I was thinking maybe we could hang out for a bit and I could give you some pointers? I mean, unless you’re busy.”

Her face lit up and she nodded, “That would be great! I’ve been meaning to ask you about that ever since he told me that you’re an artist. I would love that!”

Evan’s smile grew. “Great! How about we get started when we’re done here? I’m not on duty until just after lunch.”

“Yeah! Wow, thanks, Evan!”

He nodded, digging into his cereal. He watched from the corner of his eye as Jess started to practically vibrate in anticipation. She couldn’t wait until they were done eating and could get started.

Kira looked at Evan and lowered her voice. “That was really sweet of you. What made you decide to do that?”

Evan looked up at her with a loving smile on his face. “Because she’s family and she needs something to do. And it’s a little selfish. If I can help someone improve their love for art, then that makes me happy. That’s the way my mom is too.”

A smile spread across Kira’s face and she leaned forward, pressing her lips to Evan’s. “You amaze me sometimes, you know that?”

Evan just smiled as a response and took a sip of his coffee. Conversations started up around the table as everyone talked about what they had planned for the day as well as different stories that happened to come to mind. They picked on each other, as was usual, before all heading off in different directions to start their days.

Evan held out his arm for Jess who took it with a huge smile on her face. He led her out of the cafeteria and towards his quarters where all of his supplies were.

“So, have you taken any art classes or just kind of taught yourself?”

“I’ve only taken the ones that were mandatory back in grade school. So, I guess I kind of taught myself; although, I’m not very good.”

Evan smiled and shook his head. “I don’t believe in not being very good. The artist is as good as he believes himself to be. Or herself.”

Jess looked up at him with a smirk on her face that could very well rival her father’s. “That is very insightful, Major. I never realized you were such a softy at heart.”

He chuckled and nodded, “I have my moments.”

They reached his quarters and he got out all of his supplies. He cleared off his desk so that they would have enough room and get things set up.

“Okay, how about we start with a portrait of someone? I’ll show you how to do different techniques and you can put your own spin on it. Sound good to you?”

Jess nodded enthusiastically. “So, who am I drawing?”

Evan had thought long and hard about it before they had gotten there and had decided to work an angle. He’d talked to their group the night before and they had all come up with a plan, so he figured that maybe he could use this to his advantage.

“I want you to draw someone who…you look up to. Someone you’re inspired by, a role model.”

She looked up at him and there was no doubt she was her father’s daughter by the look she gave him. She had caught on immediately, but didn’t say a word. She knew what he was trying to do, but she appreciated it, so she let him guide her anyway. Besides, she really wanted to learn how to draw better and that meant doing what he told her to do.

“Do you have a picture of whom you’re going to draw? It’ll make it easier.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have any pictures of him.”

He smiled before pushing away from the desk and digging around in one of the drawers. He sorted through a few pictures before pulling one out, examining it, and handed it to her.

She smiled slightly at the picture. It was a picture of her father training some marines. He had his P-90 positioned and he looked like he was about to fire. His mouth was open a little as if he was talking on his radio or to someone not seen in the picture.

She set it down where she could study it as she drew, watching as Evan did the same.

She picked up a pencil and watched patiently as he began to draw a portrait of someone he looked up to. It happened to be his mom. She watched as he swept his pencil across the paper with seemingly little effort.

He looked up once he was halfway done and showed her how to start her own. “You want to start with the eyes. They’re the main focus point and it’ll be easier. The size and position of the other features are directly related to the scale and placement of the eyes. Did you see how I did mine?”

She nodded and furrowed her brow in concentration as she started drawing her father’s eyes. Well, it was more like one with the angle the picture was taken. She started lining up the face, adding in the mouth, and the nose.

“Good. You’re catching on quickly.”

Jess smiled slightly at the compliment before focusing back on the drawing. She measured it out and drew the shape of his face. She added his ear, chin and neck. She made several mistakes and was grateful for her eraser, but she was getting the hang of it.

He had gone back to his portrait, looking over every so often when she would ask him a question. He taught her that the distance from the tip of the nose to the chin and the tip of the nose to the top of the forehead is the same length, how to create a layered effect on his hair using the eraser, different styles, not to blend the uniform as much as the face, shadowing, contours, bone structure. He showed her how to draw the gun he was holding as well as the radio in his ear. The toughest part for her, though, was his hand. It was so tricky to get it just right and not look lopsided or crooked.

She added in a few last strokes to his hair and uniform before setting her ebony pencil down and smiling. Evan had long finished his portrait and had started on another one of Kira. He was roughly halfway done or so when he noticed she had stopped.

He smiled at her drawing and saw the look of happiness and achievement in her eyes. “That’s great, Jessie! See, if you believe in yourself, nothing can hold you back.”

She turned and looked at him with the brightest smile she’d given anyone in a while. It made his heart melt to have been able to help her achieve something he knew she wanted badly.

He looked down at his watch and chuckled. “It’s already time for lunch. Maybe we can have another lesson sometime if you wish.”

She nodded eagerly, “Yes! I would love that! This has been amazing. Thank you so much, Evan. It means a lot to me.”

He smiled lovingly at her, nodding his head. He pulled out an envelope big enough for her to slide her drawing inside before packing up the supplies and heading towards the cafeteria. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face as she gushed about how excited she was that she could draw portraits now.

They got in line to get their food and then made their way over to their table. They were the last ones to show up.

Nikki smiled at the look on Jess’s face. “So, have a good time?”

“Yes! Evan taught me how to draw a portrait and I actually did it! And it’s not half-bad!”

Evan looked up, “Half bad? Jessie, it’s great! You have a wonderful talent that’s just been waiting for a little encouragement and hard work. You’re a natural.”

She blushed slightly at his compliment and looked up at him with sheer happiness in her eyes. Nikki smiled at how happy she was and risked something she was dying to know.

“Would you mind if I saw what you drew? I’m dying to see how amazing it is.”

Jess hesitated, but only for half a second before opening the envelope and pulling out the picture she’d drawn of her dad. She blushed even more as Nikki looked at it and her eyes widened.

“Oh, Jessie…this is beautiful.”

The blush deepened. “He told me to draw someone I looked up to.”

Nikki turned her eyes back to Jess. Jess could see all the love this woman had for her shining brightly in her eyes.

Nikki passed the drawing around the table for everyone to see and they were all stunned by how good it looked for her first time drawing a portrait. Kira nodded, “Evan’s right, you really are a natural.”

Once she had gotten the picture back and slipped it back into the envelope, Teyla placed her hand on hers. “If you are not busy after lunch, my evening has opened up. I could teach you to spar or meditate if you would like.”

Jess nodded, “That would be great! I’d be more interested in sparring, if that’s alright with you. I don’t know if I’d be able to stay awake while meditating.”

Teyla chuckled. “That is quite alright. Ronon and John always fell asleep as well. I can teach you some moves I taught your father when I first came to Atlantis.”

She nodded, “I’d really like that, Teyla. Thanks!”

Once lunch was over, Jess and Teyla took a walk around the city. Teyla had said she didn’t want their first sparring lesson to be on a full stomach, so they let their food digest a little before they went to the only open gym.

Teyla picked up her set of bantos rods and gestured for Jess to as well. Teyla showed her the proper positioning she should stand in, how to engage, proper footing.

Jess landed on the mat for the fifth time, out of breath. “Man, I don’t know how you do this. I’m a good fighter and all, but damn.”

Teyla smiled, offering her a hand and pulling her up to her feet.

“Your father said the same thing to me during one of our first lessons.”

Jess nodded, taking everything in. “So…is he a good fighter? I mean, you said you started teaching him when you first got here.”

Teyla nodded, circling the mat as Jess did. “He is a very exceptional fighter. He caught on quite quickly and has advanced greatly since our first lesson.”

“Has he ever beaten you?”

Teyla’s smile widened. “Twice. Once because I was distracted. I was unable to stop my mind from wandering and he was able to take advantage of that, as he should have. And another time when your father’s DNA was mutated and he started to transform into a bug. His strength increased greatly, exceeding Ronon’s by far.”

Jess stopped walking. “Wait, he turned into a _bug?_ ”

“Yes, a wraith female had injected herself with a prototype of a retrovirus that Dr. Beckett had been working on. It reversed her wraith DNA, transforming her into an iratus bug. These creatures are the ancestors of the wraith. She attacked John and infected him with the retrovirus causing him to undergo the same mutation. Luckily, Dr. Beckett was able to reverse the mutation in time and return him back to normal.”

Jess nodded, picking up the circling once more. “So…my dad turned into a bug that the wraith had evolved from…interesting.”

Teyla chuckled, “It was quite frightening, but Dr. Beckett has reassured us that he is one hundred percent John Sheppard again.”

They continued to spar and Teyla told her combat stories about her father. She told Jess about how he managed to become allies with a wraith and escape a Genii prison. She told her about when John successfully convinced Keras not to go through with killing himself and helped his society greatly by showing them the suicide packs were unnecessary. She also told her the story about when he almost singlehandedly took back control of Atlantis when it was under siege from the Genii.

By the end of the sparring lesson, Jess had heard many stories about her father’s role on the battlefield. It gave her a little more respect for him, but she was still pretty angry with him. It showed her that he was a true fighter, a soldier, but she was also. Every thought about her father being a good soldier was combatted by the knowledge that she was as well and that she could take care of herself. It frustrated her to no end. Teyla could see her growing frustration and had ended the sparring lesson. They made plans to have another lesson and parted ways.

**Day Two**

Jess walked into the mess hall for breakfast the next day and was ambushed by Rodney.

“So, um, Mini Sheppard, I was thinking that you could join Nikki and I in the labs today. I thought of some things we could do and figured it’d be good for you to learn some science while you’re here. This being a scientific expedition and all.”

Jess smirked. “I thought the expedition was for exploration and to help the people in this galaxy.”

Rodney straightened, his face going somewhat blank. “Well…it is…but it’s also a scientific expedition. Hence all the scientists. So! We’ll be going to the labs after breakfast, hm? Yes. Good talk.”

He quickly walked away and towards their table, leaving Jess standing there shaking her head, amused.

She sat down next to Nikki and looked up at her. “So, what will we be doing in the labs?”

Nikki smiled, “Oh, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

An hour later, the three of them were in Rodney’s lab and staring down at a small object the size of an apple.

“What is it?” Jess stared at the device, wondering what in the world a small device like that could possibly do.

Rodney gave his best bitch face, the one he usually reserved for either Zalenka or Colonel Sheppard. “How the hell should I know? That’s what I need you for. With your look-a-like in another galaxy and his fiancée pregnant, I need someone else to test it for me. Hence the reason why you are here.”

Jess rolled her eyes as Nikki tried to refrain from chuckling as she took a seat on one of the stools. “This isn’t going to have any harmful effects, right? I can only imagine John getting home to find his daughter in the infirmary. That would go over _so_ well.”

“Yes, well, if there were any harmful effects, I wouldn’t have the child do the testing, now would I?”

“Hey! I’m not a child, thank you very much!”

Rodney turned towards her, hesitating. She’d used the same tone that her father would have used on him. “That may be true, but you’re also the child of the commanding military officer with a base full of trigger happy marines. Excuse me if I don’t march you into a room with a live grenade and tell you to duck.”

Jess shook her head. “Because _that_ would be a good idea even if I weren’t his daughter. Now, can we just get on with testing this thing? If I have to make a trip to the infirmary, I’d rather do it sooner rather than later so I can get released in time for lunch.”

“Now you sound like McKay. Maybe you two have been around each other too much.”

They both looked over at Nikki with the same look on their face: bitch face. It was enough to send her into a fit of giggles.

Jess rolls her eyes and reaches for the small device. She picked it up and examined its exterior. There wasn’t anything too special about it. It was black, smooth, and cool to the touch. The interesting part was when it started to glow a faint blue moments after she picked it up.

Her eyes widened and she looked up at Nikki to see the same expression mirrored on her face.

“Rodney. What’s it doing?”

McKay looked up from his laptop and eyed the device. “It’s…It’s glowing. Why the hell is it glowing?”

Jess used all of her will power to refrain from rolling her eyes and chucking the small device at the scientist’s head. “How the hell should I know? I just picked it up!”

McKay turned back to his laptop, typing furiously on the keys to see what effect the device was making. The only sound in the room came from the keys on his laptop as Nikki and Jess waited for him to complete his tests.

They shared a look, quickly growing impatient. “McKay-.”

“Zalenka to McKay. Did you activate the shield?”

McKay immediately stopped typing. “No! Why would I activate the shield? I’m not in the-.”

McKay’s head whipped around towards the device and his eyes widened. “Zalenka, you better get to my lab. I just found something that’s going to greatly increase our chances against the Wraith. Oh, and bring Elizabeth with you.”

He tapped off his radio before running another test.

“Rodney, what’s going on?”

Without looking up, he responded, “That device activated the shield. By the readings that I’m getting, it’s also increasing its strength. This could be a severe advantage! By my calculations…this could greatly increase our chances of surviving an attack! By anyone, really. If anyone should choose to attack us, this device should greatly increase the shield. This…this is incredible. The readings are holding at one hundred and forty percent.”

Jess looked down at the device in her hand. “Huh. It’s a good thing I decided to play guinea pig today.”


	27. AUTHOR'S NOTE....sorry...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new story is called Triple Threat (Redone)!! I am so sorry for the confusion.....

Soooo.....I am so sorry to make you think this is an update... >.< I am redoing this story. It's now called Triple Threat (Redone). I got sick and tired of reading all of the mistakes, things that were supposed to be in there that weren't, the cheesiness, ect, ect. So, I figured, what the hell. I'll re-do it. There are more chapters than before, but it basically goes along the same storyline. Many chapters will be mostly the same, errors fixed, and stuff put into them to make them longer and make more sense. So...I really hope you will continue to read my story. I'm sorry for all of the confusion. I thought it would be easier to just post a new story rather than delete everything. Again, I am so sorry!! I hope you continue to read!! ^.^


	28. Author's Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!!!!

Hey guys-

I know it’s been a long time-I think about a year?-since I’ve updated anything. I said that I wasn’t going to continue with this story. My plan had been to create the new version and make it follow a different route than this story. As I was going along, things just started drifting over to line up with this story. Recently I received a review from the new version. They said that they liked the added chapters and added scenes from the new version, but they asked me not to give up on this story. I thought a lot about that review and then I pulled up this story, read back through my notes (which is almost an entire notebook, by the way), and decided why the hell not? I left you guys with a part one chapter of what I had wanted to be two chapters…what the hell? I also looked back and realized that I had planned out the rest of this story until the very end…there were only about 5 more chapters from where I had left off…I have issues for just dropping this story so close to the end. Keep in mind, I have added another chapter to that list, so it’ll be at least 6 more chapters, if not more. I have already almost completed chapter 27. When I picked this story back up 2 days ago, there was nothing to the chapter but “Chapter 27”. It now currently sits at 10 pages and 4,328 words. So, it’s going pretty well so far. I did, however, hit a slight bump in the road with this chapter, but I’m working past it. As soon as I get this posted, I’ll get back to it, promise.

There’s one thing I need to say before I get started. I’m a college student in my third year of college living 5 hours away from home and from a boyfriend I miss like crazy. That translates into on some weeks I may be slow to update because A. I may have gone home and want to spend time with my family and boyfriend because I get very little opportunities, B. I may have a test coming up soon that I need to pour my brain into and study. I do have finals coming up in the second week of December. Or…well, I may just be lazy or hit a roadblock in the creative sense.

I can’t guarantee anything at this point. The real reason I am getting back behind this story full throttle is because I originally started this story because I was in a bad situation that was threatening to send my sanity into a downward spiral. I was seriously struggling with depression and then one day I came up with an idea of Nikki Teagan and I flew with it. I sat down and thought about what I wanted to do. I’m personally in love with John Sheppard, so it was a no-brainer. And I wanted to experiment with him being with someone other than Teyla, even though I am a HUGE Sheyla shipper. But, this story pulled me out of that rut, allowed me to focus on something other than my life until that part of my life passed and then continued to help me and keep me sane as I continued with this story. Because I am so far from home and from everyone I love, I’m descending into that rut again and I don’t want that. It’s threatening my relationship and if all it really takes is for me to dive head into a story again, then why the hell not?

So…without further ado…I would like to officially change the status of this story back to in progress. Thank you for all your support since I started and I hope that you continue to follow this story, even if you have to go back and re-read what has just been sitting there for a long time. Thank you so much!! See you soon. Promise.


	29. My Little Girl Part Two

**Chapter 27**

Jessie eyed the device in her hands, unsure if she should put it down or continue to let it glow in her hands. Elizabeth and Dr. Zalenka rushed into the lab wearing varying degrees of curiosity and excitement on their faces.

“Rodney, what’s going on?”

McKay looked up from his laptop. “I just found a way to greatly increase our chances of survival against the Wraith or anyone else who decides to attack the city.”

Elizabeth looked ecstatic. “How did you manage that?”

Rodney stood and stepped towards Jess, pointing at the device she was still holding. “I had Mini Sheppard pick up this device that was found in the city while searching. When she picked it up, it started to glow. Radek radioed me and asked if I had turned on the shield. I ran a test and found out that the device activated the shield, but it didn’t just do that. It also increased its power and it’s currently running at 140% right now!”

Radek’s eyes widened. He took a step closer to examine the device in her hand. “Neuvěřitelné.”

Jess looked up with him curiously. “What did you say?”

Nikki chuckled. “He said incredible.”

“Oh. You know, I’d like to learn Czech some time.”

Radek looked up at her and smiled. “I’d be more than happy to teach you some time if you would like. I hear you are a quick learner like your father.”

She nodded, “That’s what I’ve been told too.”

Rodney waved his hands around in the air. “Hello! We have more important matters at hand than learning Czech! Will you focus, people!”

Elizabeth smiled faintly at Rodney. “So you believe this will improve our chances against the Wraith. When she puts the device down, what happens?”

Rodney shifted. “I’m not sure. We hadn’t gotten that far before I radioed for you. Jess, put it down and we’ll see what it does.”

She nodded and set the device on the table where it’d been before. Immediately, it stopped glowing. Rodney turned back to his laptop and clicked a few keys. “The shield is down and energy levels are back to normal. It seems that the shield is only effected when the device is held and activated.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Is there any way to keep it activated without holding it?”

Rodney looked at the device and frowned. “I’m not sure. I’d have to run some tests on it.”

“Okay, get on that. Keep me updated on what you find.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Nikki looked down at her wrist. “I need to get going. I have an appointment with Jennifer. Jessie, are you coming with or staying here?”

Jess looked over at McKay. “Do you need me, Rodney?”

Rodney looked up from his laptop and waved her away. “I can find someone else to play light bulb. Plus, the longer you stay, the more chances something will happen to you resulting in my death when your father finds out it was all my fault.”

Jess shrugs and follows Nikki out of the lab and towards the infirmary for the routine check-up.

**SGA**

John shifted uneasily in his seat. They were in the Attorney’s office going over the trial.

“Colonel, I’m going to use you as my last witness. Since you are her ex-husband, the fiancée of the woman who almost died, the father of the children who were put into danger, and the brother-in-law of the other woman abducted, I believe your testimony will have more impact. No offence, Rebecca.”

She smiled faintly. “None taken.”

John nodded, arms crossed over his chest. “Sounds reasonable.”

The Attorney nodded, flipping through some pages. “Do you have anything that might add to our case against her?”

John was about to shake his head when images of Jess popped into his mind. His first instinct was to keep his mouth shut, but Jess was in a completely different galaxy and safe from Nancy. There was absolutely no chance that Nancy could get to Jess. “Actually…I do.”

Becca looked up at him curiously, as did the Attorney, Mr. Birch. “Oh? And what is it?”

John thought over his next words carefully. “I recently came across some information that might help you make the case of her being…emotionally lacking. If you choose to use it.”

Mr. Birch’s eyebrows furrowed. “Colonel, what are talking about?”

John took a breath and looked up at him. “When Nancy and I were in High School, she got pregnant.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Becca stiffen. “John, is this a good idea?”

He looked at her feeling slightly unsure. “She’s completely safe where she is. There’s no way for Nancy to go anywhere near her.”

He turned back to Mr. Birch. “She moved out of the country with her parents. She had the baby in the States and then put her up for adoption. After that was over with, they moved back. I had already joined the Air Force by then. We started dating again when they came back, but she never told me she’d been pregnant and then had a child. I never knew I had a daughter until very recently when she showed up at the base I work at looking for me.”

 Mr. Birch’s eyes widened significantly. “She has a child she put up for adoption? Where is she?”

John’s chest tightened in worry. “She’s somewhere safe, far away from here. She’s not going anywhere near Nancy and vice versa.”

Mr. Birch nodded. “That may be best given Nancy’s history with your family. Is Nancy aware that you know of her existence?”

He shook his head. “As far as I know, she has no idea that I know about Jess. Jess hadn’t even known she was adopted until the day before she met me.”

He nodded again, thinking over what he’d just been told. “Okay, I’m sure I can work that in there somewhere. This could be used to our advantage. I’m not entirely sure how yet, but you never know what could happen. The trial is in the morning, at least the first part of it. We’ll only be needing Rebecca’s testimony tomorrow as long as things go the way I expect them to.”

John nodded. “Okay. I’m still going to be there in case Nancy decides to do something Nancy-like. I’m not leaving Becca’s side unless she’s up on the stand.”

“I understand, Colonel. If I were in your position, I would do that same thing. I’ll come up with a way to throw in your daughter’s role in all of this tonight, see if I can use it to our advantage in any way. Even if I can’t, I’m confident that we will win this case. Now, Colonel, I have to ask what your hope the outcome is here. How far do you want me to push this?”

John leveled his gaze with Mr. Birch. “I want you to push it as far as you can. I don’t want her to ever see the light of day again. I don’t want her in any kind of position where she can hurt my family or hire someone else to hurt my family ever again. I don’t care what happens to her as long as my family is safe from her or anyone under her influence. If that means that you have to involve any of my children or my fiancée without them actually being here, then that’s fine with me. Whatever puts her away for good.”

Mr. Birch nodded seriously, taking the Colonel in. “She’s done a lot of damage to your family, hasn’t she?”

John almost laughed. “She was part of the reason I was disowned from my father and hadn’t been able to make things right before he died. She was part of the reason why I had no one in my life for years. She kidnapped my sister-in-law and my fiancée who is pregnant with my children. She almost ripped my brother and I apart when she kidnapped them. She almost killed Nikki and my unborn children. Because of her, I didn’t get to see my daughter take her first steps, grow up, graduate from high school. I didn’t know she existed until after all of her major milestones had already passed without me. Because of her, my relationship with my daughter is crumbling. So, yeah, you could say that she’s done a significant amount of damage to my family.”

Ronon looked over at John from where he was leaning against the wall behind him. He knew that Jessie loved John more than anything and that they would reconcile when they got back to Atlantis, but it was obvious that John was having his doubts. Ronon knew how much Jessie meant to him. It was obvious when he looked at her and spoke of her. She meant the world to him. That argument between them had turned his world upside down. Ronon knew John wouldn’t be alright until they resolved their issues.

Mr. Birch nodded slowly. “Colonel, I’m going to do everything in my power to put her away for as long as possible. She has a lot riding against her and I feel that we have a very high chance of succeeding. I want to thank you and Rebecca for agreeing to come and testify. I know it can’t be easy to be anywhere near her after everything she is done. I’ll try to push it along as fast as I can so that you can get back home with your family quickly and safely.”

John nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that. The less time around her, the better. Is there anything else you need to know?”

“I need to know more about your daughter and her situation. The more I know, the more I can use against Nancy.

**SGA**

Jess sighed and set down her spray bottle. “Alex…why are you having me spray plants again?”

Alex appeared from behind a tall row of plants they had just received from an off-world planet. “I find it rather relaxing to come in here and just concentrate on the plants. It’s soothing.”

Jess looked back at the plant she’d been standing in front of for the past five minutes. She’d just been standing there staring into space. If anything, watering the plants was just making her mind drift back to things she’d rather not think about. “No offence, but I don’t think it’s for me.”

He chuckled and motioned her to follow him back into his office. “Not a lot of people have the patience of state of mind to deal with plants all day every day. I don’t blame you one bit. You’re a lot like your father. He’s always doing something, never sitting still. Even when he wants to just relax, he’s usually still doing something because that’s his job and he’s used to it.”

Jess nodded and sat down on one of the stools stationed around his desk. “Everyone keeps telling me that: that I’m a lot like my father. I already knew that. We have very similar backgrounds. I mean, I don’t know what his home situation was like or if it was anything like mine, but we have the same intelligence, the same taste in books, the same looks, the same love for flying and helping people. We’re both fighters and love what we do.”

“You’re also both very passionate and very loyal. It may not seem like it from the first look, but when you really pay attention to him, you’ll notice how passionate he is about most things. He’s very passionate about his love for flying, for the military, for Nikki and his adopted family here. For you.”

Jess looked up at him, but didn’t say anything.

“You just got here, what? Two months now?”

Jess nodded, but stayed silent.

“You haven’t been here that long at all or in our lives, but already it’s like you’ve always been in his life. Yeah, there’s sadness and disappointment that’s obvious when he talks about not getting to see you grow up or be there for you your entire life, but he acknowledges that he has you now and that it’s better than nothing. He’s determined not to waste any time with you. He’s getting to know who you are and trying to figure out how you get to where you are. He wants to know everything. You’re his little girl, like it or not, and he’s quickly adapted to being a father to a teenager. It’s actually quite impressive how quickly he’s adapted and adjusting to you.”

Jess looked down at her fingers. “I know that he’s angry with my mother for not telling him about me, for just leaving to give birth to me instead of staying and owning up to it like she should have. I know that Dad would have done the right thing and taken care of me if he could have. He deserved to know about me back then.”

Alex nodded. “I agree. It was wrong of Nancy to take the decision completely out of his hands and give him no say, let alone not even tell him at all. He had every right to know about you. He is angry with her, very angry. I’m sure he’ll probably say something to her while he’s on Earth for the trial, let her know just how much more she screwed up in his eyes.”

Jess looked out over at all of the plants. “I still can’t believe that my biological mother is a psychotic lunatic that tried to kill two innocent little unborn babies and one of the sweetest women I know. Let alone do it all just to get back at Dad. What was her argument again for getting back at him?”

Alex tried to hide a smile. “It was because he didn’t give her children like they wanted.”

Jess couldn’t help the bubble of laughter that escaped her throat. “That’s just wrong on so many levels.”

Alex chuckled, “Yeah, it is. She was one sick and twisted lady. I hope they finally manage to put her away for good. No offence.”

Jess shook her head, staring off into space. “None taken, believe me. I want her put away too. I wasn’t around when any of that happened, but I want them to be safe. I never knew her and I never will. Dad’s kind of making sure of that.”

“Is that really a bad thing though? I mean, I know that she’s always going to be your biological mother and all, but look at all the terrible things she’s done. Do you really want to endanger yourself for her?”

She sighed and looked back down at her hands. “It’s not for her. And I don’t want to get to know her, I just want to meet her. I want to ask her some questions, find out why she did things the way she did. Why she didn’t want me, why she gave me up, why she didn’t tell Dad I even existed. Was she ashamed to have me? Was she afraid Dad would leave her if she told him? I just want to know before I lose my chance to ever find out.”

Alex nodded, a thought coming to mind. “Maybe you should go talk to Kira sometime.”

Jess looked up at him and popped an eyebrow in the signature Sheppard way. “Why?”

“Because she was adopted too. She didn’t know she was adopted until just a few months ago when her adopted parents died and left her birth certificate in their will. That’s how she found us. She might be able to help you come to terms with the things that you’re conflicted with. You never know.”

Jess nodded, thinking it over. “That’s actually a really good idea. I didn’t even think of that. If she’d be willing, that is…”

“I can talk to her if you want. See if she’d be okay with talking about it with you.”

She nodded, “Yeah, I’d appreciate that.”

Alex smiled kindly at her. “Okay, I’ll talk to her later and see what I can do. For now, though, we might want to get going. It’s supper time and I’m guessing everyone is already in the mess hall waiting for us.”

They walked together to the mess hall, talking about how the rest of their weeks seemed to look. She was still trying to find a way to sneak onto a team to go off-world. She was dying to explore an alien world. They got in line to get their food and then sat down at the table after making it through the line. The rest of Jess’s day was uneventful. She spent a couple of hours with her cousins before going to her room, slipping in her earbuds and falling asleep to the sounds of Johnny Cash.

**Day Three**

Ever since he woke up that morning, John’s mind had been running a marathon with itself. He’d woken early to find Ronon sitting on the couch in their suite waiting for him so they could go on their morning run. After they returned to the room, he showered and get dressed. They went to breakfast, Cam tried to make small talk with Becca. Ronon and John were as silent as statues the entire time. The only time either of them spoke all morning until they got to the courthouse was to order their food.

John paused and stared up at the courthouse in front of them. This was it. He was about to come face-to-face with his psycho ex-wife. It made him feel loads better that Nikki and Jess weren’t there for him to worry about. He missed them like crazy, but this way he didn’t have to almost have a panic attack every time Nancy looked their way. He could defend himself and he wasn’t too worried about Becca. She had him, Cam, and Ronon watching her back along with three other marines who followed them everywhere they went.

Ronon stepped up next to John. “Ready?”

John took a breath and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He started up the stairs towards the courthouse, aware that their group was taking all their leads from him. Whatever he did, they followed. They were allowing him time to process everything that was happening before they did anything, never pushing him.

He walked through the doors and over to the station where the sign in. He handed over his sidearm and signed for it, showed proper identification, and did everything else you were supposed to do before walking into a courthouse. Ronon was always right behind him, never leaving his side. It meant the world to him that Ronon was there with him. He knew that Ronon cared about him like a brother and didn’t want anything happening to him.

They met with the Attorney, went over the last minute details of what would be happening and then enter the courthouse, prepared for whatever was going to happen.

**SGA**

Jess walked into the infirmary after breakfast and headed straight for Carson’s office. He was sitting behind his desk finishing up some paperwork. When she walked in, he looked up and smiled. “Ah, Jessie, just in time. I was just finishing up the last of my paperwork. I’ll only be a minute and then we can start. You can have a seat or walk around if you like.”

Jess smiled at him and took a seat across from his desk. They had made plans for he and Jennifer to show her around the infirmary and help out with the patients. He’d mentioned that he was in need of more nurses, but was shorthanded until the latest recruits could get there so she had volunteered to help out a bit if she could.

It only took a few more minutes before he slid the last file off to the side and stood up. “We have a couple of patients who arrived last night. It’s nothing too serious or anything to worry about, I assure you. I can almost guarantee that we’ll be getting some walk-ins from scientists who had an accident of some kind or some military personnel who took sparing too far. That’s what the typical day looks like. We do have some routine check-ups scheduled for the day as well, so your time shouldn’t be too boring, I’m sure.”

She smiled at him and nodded. “I’m sure it won’t be. I love helping people if I can.”

Carson smiled. “Aye, you’re just like your father. He’s always helping people if he can. Hell, that’s essentially his job in a way. He’s helping the entire galaxy and he loves it.”

Jess nodded. She wasn’t sure if she was getting tired of hearing she was just like her father all the time or secretly thrilled that they had more and more in common. “So, what’s first on the agenda for the day?”

Carson walked out into the infirmary followed by Jess. He picked up a clipboard and flipped through a couple of pages. “I have to take a couple blood samples and get them to Jennifer to analyze. Grab that packaged syringe, a sterile wipe, a cotton ball, and a vial from the tray.”

She did as she was told as he snapped on a pair of gloves and then followed him through the infirmary to their first patient. “Good morning, Ellen. How are you feeling this morning?”

The woman, Ellen, looked up at Carson and smiled faintly. “A little better than last night, but not much.”

Beckett nodded. “I didn’t figure it would be a quick recovery. Now, I’m going to take another sample of blood to be analyzed. Then we’ll see what we can do for you once we get the results back.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

“Give me your arm and we’ll get started. Jessie, hand me the sterile wipe.” She handed it over and watched him tear open the package and wipe the area of her arm he was going to stick the needle in. He handed her back the wipe and held his hand out for the syringe which she placed in his hand, knowing what he was asking for. He pulled the package open and set up the needle.

He took a sample of her blood and then asked for the cotton ball. She handed it to him and he placed it over the needle before slowly pulling it out. “Now, you know what to do. Just keep it there for a couple of minutes until it stops bleeding. I’ll be back when the results are in.”

“Thank you, Dr. Beckett.”

“My pleasure, lass.”

He handed the vial of blood off to a nurse and gave her instructions on what to do with it. She got the items for the next blood sample and they repeated what they’d just done.

Walking away from the second patient, Jess threw away the wrappers from the syringe and wipe. She wasn’t exactly doing much help, but at least it was something she supposed.

Jess followed him around for the next couple of hours, handing him things and assisting when he asked. They had some downtime when it was getting closer to lunch so they went back to his office.

“You know, Jessie, I’m surprised you’re not in here that often.”

She looked up at him confused. “What do you mean?”

Carson sat down behind his desk with an amused look on his face. “Well, your father has a knack for getting hurt and landing himself in one of my beds. I can’t count the number of times he’s been in here for some kind of injury. You’re so much like him, I figured you’d have his knack for trouble as well.”

She pursed her lips. “I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually. That is, as soon as he starts letting me do anything.”

“What do you mean?”

She sighed, feeling her frustration bubble up. “He won’t let me go off-world. He says that he wants to go with me and make sure I’m alright. The only thing I’ve been allowed to do is get sparing lessons from Teyla that he actually doesn’t know about…”

Carson nodded. “He is quite protective. I understand his wanting to be there when you go off-world for the first time. You never know what could happen when you step through the gate. Many good people have been killed during missions. I’m sure he just wants to ensure your safety. He did just find you, after all.”

Jess nodded, looking away from him. “I know. I get that, I really do. But I’m also a fighter, a pilot. I’m in the Air Force just like he is. I’ve been stationed here, but I haven’t been put on duty once since I’ve been here.”

“I can’t begin to fully understand his reasoning behind the things he does, but I assure you he does everything for a reason. I’m sure he’s just trying to allow you to get to know your new home before making you defend it and giving you duties. Have you tried talking to him about getting more responsibility?”

“A couple of times, but it didn’t really go anywhere. He would be called off somewhere or was late for a meeting. He’s a really busy guy.”

Carson chuckled, “That he is. He is always busy doing something or on the go. I’m sure if you asked him to sit down and have a conversation with you about it, he would try his best. He loves you. Just try talking to him again.”

“I will when he gets back some time. So, he’s in here a lot?”

Carson sighed, nodding his head. “Aye. I wouldn’t be surprised if that man started giving me premature gray hairs. I don’t know how many times he’s been rushed in here after a mission gone badly or a sparring session turned bloody.”

“Has it ever looked so bad that you thought he may not recover or come back from it?”

Carson nodded slowly, keeping his eyes level with hers. “Aye, lass. There have been several times where I thought we may lose the Colonel. I can guarantee the last time won’t be the last. That’s a hazard of his job. He puts his life on the line every time he gets up in the morning. He has the responsibility of protecting this entire city and everyone in it, including you, Nikki, the twins, his family. His team has his back, but sometimes things happen and they’re not always able to stop it. But you have to remember that he is a strong fighter. He doesn’t give up. I have only ever seen that man give up twice and it was a very long time ago. That was only because the first time he believed both Teyla and Rodney to be dead and he blamed himself for both. The second time, he believed Teyla and Ronon to be dead and blamed himself for that as well. Those were back in a time when he only had his team to fall back on for anything. He wasn’t particularly close to anyone else, but them. Now he has a daughter and two more children on the way, a fiancée who loves him more than I’ve ever seen someone love another person. He has his brother back in his life as well as the rest of his family. His family is expanding every day it seems. He has a lot more to fight for and not give up on. If something happens to him, I will do my very best to keep him here and so will he. He and Nikki are two of the strongest fighters I have ever seen. I have full confidence in their abilities to survive just about anything thrown their way. And you should too.”

Jess could feel the tears pricking at the back of her eyes. A part of her was terrified that something would happen to her father, but she knew that he would try his best not to let that happen. “Thanks, Carson.”

Carson smiled at her. “No problem. Why don’t you go on ahead to lunch? I’m sure everyone’s gonna be there shortly. There’s nothing left to do here.”

She smiled at him and nodded, standing and walking over to the door. She paused and turned back to look at him. “If you’re in on everyone’s plan to help me understand my father and his decision better…thank you.”

She didn’t wait for an answer. She left the infirmary and started down the hallway towards the mess hall. She was getting the layout of the city down pretty quickly. It’d been a while since she’d gotten lost, so that was definitely an improvement.

She thought back to everything people had been telling her since her father left for Earth. Every time she spent time with someone, they had some kind of “lesson” about her father. She learned more about her father than she had while he was in the city. She knew that they were trying to get her to forgive him. They hadn’t quite succeeded yet, but she had a better understanding of who her father was, what he did, and why he did the things he did. She had a better understanding of what he dealt with and how he responded to things. She felt like she knew him a lot better than she did. The last thing she’d said to him was that she wouldn’t miss him, but she’d been lying. As soon as she’d run out of his office, a part of her had stayed with him. She wanted him back. She couldn’t wait until the end of the week when he got back.


End file.
